What enables the brain to go from intense concentration to a heightened state of alertness? A study carried out by neuroscientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with ETH Zurich ...

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small, bilateral nucleus in the dorsal pons that serves as the main source of noradrenaline in the brain. Its widespread projections modulate arousal, attention, memory ...

Small and seemingly specialized, the brain's locus coeruleus (LC) region has been stereotyped for its outsized export of the arousal-stimulating neuromodulator norepinephrine. In a new paper and with ...

A tiny region in the brain works like a reset button that separates memory of one meaningful event from the next. Without this reset mechanism, moments could blur together and lead to the kinds of ...

Optogenetic stimulation of the locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons can increase wakefulness, and high-frequency stimulation decreases noradrenaline levels and produces loss of muscle tone similar to ...

A small nucleus in the brainstem called locus coeruleus (literally the "blue spot,") is the primary source of a major neuromodulator, norepinephrine (NE), an important mediator of the 'fight or flight ...

The locus coeruleus is emerging as a major new area of research interest, with many important functions such as regulating our attention and sleep. Anyone with insomnia knows the impatience and ...

Long thought of as a generic alarm system, the locus coeruleus may actually be a sophisticated regulator of learning and behavior, according to a new review. Small and seemingly specialized, the brain ...

A critical but vulnerable region in the brain appears to be the first place affected by late onset Alzheimer's disease and may be more important for maintaining cognitive function in later life than ...

Norepinephrine-producing neurons in the locus coeruleus, a small nucleus in the brainstem, have been discovered to have two distinct types of cells that connect linearly via gap junctions - novel ...