Abstract
Subtle semantic language decrements are well-documented in Parkinson's disease (PD). To date, however, both the underlying processes and the effects of medication on these reported anomalies remain virtually unexplored. The present case study employed on-line semantic priming procedures to investigate the effects of dopaminergic medication on the ability to strategically activate semantic representations in PD. The participant completed lexical decision tasks during both ‘on’ (when medicated) and ‘off’ (during medication withdrawal) medication states. Normal positive priming effects were recorded on medication. When medication was withdrawn, however, negative priming effects were identified. Results support a centre-surround theory of attentional processing and the positive neuromodulatory influence of dopamine on semantic language processing in PD.
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