Fig. 2.

MPH acts in the dmPFC to improve both sustained attention and working memory. a Left: Infusion of MPH into the dmPFC (dorsal anterior cingulate/dorsal prelimbic PFC) improves sustained attention in an inverted-U-shaped manner, with 0.5 μg producing maximal improvement as measured by a change in d′ sensitivity from vehicle (mean ± SEM). Top Right: Schematic of all infusion sites for the 0.5 μg dose. Numbers represent anterior/posterior coordinates of coronal sections. Bottom Right: Representative photomicrograph of MPH infusion site in the dmPFC showing the main body of the needle track. Arrows indicate the ventral most location of the track within the dmPFC. Cannulae are only lowered into the dmPFC ~200 μm, minimizing damage. b Previously published data regarding the dose–response curve for MPH-induced improvement in working memory [8]. When compared with data presented in panel a, it is clear that sustained attention displays right-shifted dose sensitivity relative to working memory. Acg dorsal anterior cingulate, PL prelimbic PFC. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared to vehicle treatment