Abstract: Norepinephrinegic innervations in the prefrontal cortex mainly come from locus coeruleus at the brain stem. There are various types of adrenoceptors in the prefrontal cortex. The activations of post-synaptic α2 and β2 adrenoceptors improve the working memory, whereas the activation of α1 and β1 receptors impairs the performance of tasks that require working memory. The modulation of different types of adrenoceptors on the working memory is achieved by activating different signaling pathways. Some results coming from human subjects are not consistent with those from animals. A good understanding of the effects of various types of adrenoceptors on working memory will be a new direction in developing medicines for the treatment of dysfunction of prefrontal cortex.

Key words: prefrontal cortex, working memory, norepinephrine, receptor