Noradrenergic Neuron

A neurons cell type of the human nervous system.

Locus coeruleus norepinephrine neuron that modulates arousal, attention, stress responses, and brain-wide state changes.

Function

Locus coeruleus and related noradrenergic neurons modulate arousal, vigilance, attention, stress responses, and adaptive behavioral state; LC firing co-varies with and anticipates the sleep-wake cycle.

Morphology

Medium-sized multipolar neurons with widely branching, divergent axonal projections innervating much of the forebrain and cerebellum.

Specification

  • Neurotransmitter: Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
  • Co-transmitters: Galanin (locus coeruleus subset); NPY in some peripheral/medullary populations (not general to LC) - qualify
  • Receptors: Alpha/Beta adrenergic
  • Location: Locus coeruleus (pontine brainstem); medullary/pontine groups (A1, A2, A5, A7)
  • Projections: Entire CNS
  • Firing: Phasic; Tonic
  • Markers: DBH (dopamine beta-hydroxylase); TH (tyrosine hydroxylase); SLC6A2/NET; DDC/AADC; SLC18A2/VMAT2
  • Developmental origin: Rhombencephalon
  • Disease: Implicated in ADHD, depression, PTSD, anxiety; LC degeneration is an early feature of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
  • Cell Ontology: CL:0008025

References

  1. Aston-Jones G & Bloom FE (1981). Activity of norepinephrine-containing locus coeruleus neurons in behaving rats anticipates fluctuations in the sleep-waking cycle.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 1 PMID 7346592

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