Functional neuropharmacology using near-infrared spectroscopy : Anti-histamine effect on memory and cognition

Abstract

Histamine H1 receptor antagonists (antihistamines) are widely used for the treatment of allergic disorders. Despite its social importance, there are few studies examining the effects of antihistamines on cortical homodynamic activities. We examined the effects of antihistamine on prefrontal cortex activity in adults and preschool children using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a novel brain imaging method suitable for psychological experiments, especially in young children. We showed that ketotifen (a first-generation antagonist) significantly impaired behavioral performance and cortical activation at the lateral prefrontal cortex in several cognitive tasks, compared with epinastine (a second-generation antagonist) and placebo. There were no sedative effects on neural response or behavioral performance after epinastine administration. We discussed the usefulness of NIRS technique in neuropsychopharmacological studies especially of young children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract).