Article
Neurosciences
Theodoros Tsetsenis, Julia K. Badyna, Rebecca Li, John A. Dani
Summary: Processing of contextual information is crucial for learning and memory. This study demonstrates that increasing noradrenergic activity in the hippocampus enhances contextual associative learning, and this effect requires activation of specific receptors. Additionally, it shows that increasing norepinephrine release can ameliorate contextual fear learning impairments caused by dopaminergic dysregulation in the hippocampus.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martino Caramia, Roman A. Romanov, Spyridon Syderomenos, Zsofia Hevesi, Ming Zhao, Marharyta Krasniakova, Zhi- Qing David Xu, Tibor Harkany, Tomas G. M. Hoekfelt
Summary: The locus coeruleus (LC), a small nucleus in the pons, plays a crucial role in the functioning of the central nervous system, particularly in wakefulness. This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to identify different subtypes of neurons in the LC and characterized their neuropeptide and receptor profiles. The results showed that NE neurons expressed various neuropeptide transcripts, with galanin being a notable one. Surprisingly, Galr1, a galanin receptor, was highly expressed in GABA neurons surrounding the NE ensemble. Functional experiments revealed that GalR1 agonist can inhibit a significant proportion of NE neurons. These findings provide insights into the role of the galanin system in NE function and have implications for understanding the actions of other peptides and their receptors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yuxiao Zhang, Yan Chen, Yushi Xin, Beibei Peng, Shuai Liu
Summary: Reward learning is crucial for survival and attention plays a key role in the recognition of reward cues and formation of reward memories. However, the neurological processes of the interaction between reward and attention are not well understood due to the diverse neural substrates involved in these processes.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alexa F. Iannitelli, David Weinshenker
Summary: The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is an early affected region in both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), but the reasons for this selective vulnerability are not fully understood. This review focuses on the presence of neuromelanin (NM), a dark pigment unique to catecholaminergic cells, as a contributing factor to dysfunction and degeneration of LC neurons. The authors discuss the limitations of historical approaches and introduce a new human tyrosinase (hTyr) model for studying NM production and its potential therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative diseases.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Carolina Bonmassar, Florian Scharf, Andreas Widmann, Nicole Wetzel
Summary: This study found that highly arousing emotional distractor sounds impair performance less compared to moderately arousing neutral distractor sounds in a task. The study also found that the reduction in distraction effects caused by emotional distractor sounds is related to an enhancement of arousal evoked by processing these sounds.
Article
Psychiatry
Yoo Hyun Um, Sheng-Min Wang, Dong Woo Kang, Nak-Young Kim, Hyun Kook Lim
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the alterations of locus coeruleus functional connectivity (LC FC) in patients with insomnia after a 4-week transdermal trigeminal electrical neuromodulation (TTEN). The results showed a significantly decreased LC FC with occipital and temporal cortices after TTEN. However, there was no significant correlation between LC FC changes and changes in insomnia severity index and polysomnography parameters.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Joost M. Riphagen, Maxime van Egroo, Heidi I. L. Jacobs
Summary: The study indicates that elevated NE-metabolism can predict decline in learning, supporting the role of the LC-NE system in early Alzheimer's disease processes.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Seong Su Kang, Eun Hee Ahn, Xia Liu, Matthew Bryson, Gary W. Miller, David Weinshenker, Keqiang Ye
Summary: ApoE4 enhances Tau neurotoxicity by inhibiting VMAT2, leading to LC neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Billie J. Matchett, Lea T. Grinberg, Panos Theofilas, Melissa E. Murray
Summary: The locus coeruleus plays a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease, with degeneration of its neurons contributing to dysregulation of neuroprotection and exacerbating pathology. Preserving the LC-NE system could be a potential therapeutic target for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases affected by LC degeneration.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Allan I. Levey, Deqiang Qiu, Liping Zhao, William T. Hu, Duc M. Duong, Lenora Higginbotham, Eric B. Dammer, Nicholas T. Seyfried, Thomas S. Wingo, Chadwick M. Hales, Malu Gamez Tansey, David S. Goldstein, Anees Abrol, Vince D. Calhoun, Felicia C. Goldstein, Ihab Hajjar, Anne M. Fagan, Doug Galasko, Steven D. Edland, John Hanfelt, James J. Lah, David Weinshenker
Summary: The study demonstrated that atomoxetine, a clinically approved noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, improved multiple Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Treatment with atomoxetine significantly reduced CSF levels of Tau and pTau, normalized CSF protein biomarker panels linked to synaptic function, brain metabolism, and glial immunity, and increased brain activity and metabolism in key temporal lobe circuits.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xiaojing Zhai, Dongyu Zhou, Yi Han, Ming-Hu Han, Hongxing Zhang
Summary: Resilience is an active adaption process in response to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or stress. The neurobiological mechanisms of resilience have provided new insights for preclinical research and drug development for stress-related disorders. The locus coeruleus norepinephrine system plays a key role in mediating stress susceptibility versus resilience and has gained significant attention in recent years. This review article discusses resilience-related concepts, rodent paradigms for studying susceptibility and resilience, recent findings on neuronal and molecular substrates of active resilience in the locus coeruleus, and potential future directions for resilience research.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Juan Carlos Cerpa, Alessandro Piccin, Margot Dehove, Marina Lavigne, Eric J. Kremer, Mathieu Wolff, Shauna L. Parkes, Etienne Coutureau
Summary: Organisms need to track the relationship between actions and consequences in order to make decisions, which relies on circuits in the brain. There is functional heterogeneity within certain areas of the brain in rodents. Neuromodulatory agents play a crucial role in prefrontal functions and behavioral flexibility.
Review
Neurosciences
Alexandre Berger, Simone Vespa, Laurence Dricot, Manon Dumoulin, Evelina Iachim, Pascal Doguet, Gilles Vandewalle, Riem El Tahry
Summary: Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. The involvement of norepinephrine (NE) in the antiepileptic effects of VNS is critical, with studies showing potential for personalizing stimulation parameters for improved therapeutic outcomes. However, the biological requisites to become a responder to VNS are still unknown.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nico Bast, Sebastian B. Gaigg, Dermot M. Bowler, Veit Roessner, Christine M. Freitag, Melanie Ring
Summary: This study investigates pupil dilation during a memory task in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The results show that adults with ASD have reduced memory accuracy compared to neurotypical individuals (TD), and this is related to altered pupil responses during encoding and retrieval processes. Higher pupil dilation during encoding and lower pupil dilation during retrieval are associated with decreased recognition accuracy, suggesting an altered modulation of memory encoding and retrieval in ASD.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Brandon Keehn, Girija Kadlaskar, Rebecca McNally Keehn
Summary: Autistic individuals excel at visual search and show larger resting pupil size. They search faster and more efficiently compared to neurotypical children. Accelerated search is associated with fewer fixations in the autism group.
Article
Neurosciences
N. R. Sciolino, J. M. Smith, A. M. Stranahan, K. G. Freeman, G. L. Edwards, D. Weinshenker, P. V. Holmes
Article
Cell Biology
Natale R. Sciolino, Nicholas W. Plummer, Yu-Wei Chen, Georgia M. Alexander, Sabrina D. Robertson, Serena M. Dudek, Zoe A. McElligott, Patricia Jensen
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yvonne E. Ogbonmwan, Natale R. Sciolino, Jessica L. Groves-Chapman, Kimberly G. Freeman, Jason P. Schroeder, Gaylen L. Edwards, Philip V. Holmes, David Weinshenker
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Natale R. Sciolino, Rodney K. Dishman, Philip V. Holmes
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2012)
Article
Neurosciences
Jason R. Clapper, Guillermo Moreno-Sanz, Roberto Russo, Ana Guijarro, Federica Vacondio, Andrea Duranti, Andrea Tontini, Silvano Sanchini, Natale R. Sciolino, Jessica M. Spradley, Andrea G. Hohmann, Antonio Calignano, Marco Mor, Giorgio Tarzia, Daniele Piomelli
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2010)
Article
Neurosciences
N. R. Sciolino, M. Bortolato, S. A. Eisenstein, J. Fu, F. Oveisi, A. G. Hohmann, D. Piomelli
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Natale R. Sciolino, Wenyi Zhou, Andrea G. Hohmann
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2011)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Rachel P. Tillage, Natale R. Sciolino, Nicholas W. Plummer, Daniel Lustberg, L. Cameron Liles, Madeline Hsiang, Jeanne M. Powell, Kathleen G. Smith, Patricia Jensen, David Weinshenker
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Esteban A. Oyarzabal, Li-Ming Hsu, Manasmita Das, Tzu-Hao Harry Chao, Jingheng Zhou, Sheng Song, Weiting Zhang, Kathleen G. Smith, Natale R. Sciolino, Irina Y. Evsyukova, Hong Yuan, Sung-Ho Lee, Guohong Cui, Patricia Jensen, Yen-Yu Ian Shih
Summary: This study reveals the selective neuromodulatory effect of norepinephrine-releasing neurons in the locus coeruleus on the default mode network of the brain. The activation of these neurons alters neuronal activity coupling and cerebral blood volume within the frontal DMN, strengthens functional connectivity within the frontal DMN, and is mediated by reduced modulatory inputs from retrosplenial and hippocampal regions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Natale R. Sciolino, Madeline Hsiang, Christopher M. Mazzone, Leslie R. Wilson, Nicholas W. Plummer, Jaisal Amin, Kathleen G. Smith, Christopher A. McGee, Sydney A. Fry, Cindy X. Yang, Jeanne M. Powell, Michael R. Bruchas, Alexxai Kravitz, Jesse D. Cushman, Michael J. Krashes, Guohong Cui, Patricia Jensen
Summary: Noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC-NE) modulate feeding behavior by integrating external and internal stimuli. LC-NE activity is suppressed during food consumption, and activation of the LC to the lateral hypothalamus pathway suppresses feeding and enhances avoidance and anxiety-like responding.
Article
Neurosciences
Leslie R. Wilson, Nicholas W. Plummer, Irina Y. Evsyukova, Daniela Patino, Casey L. Stewart, Kathleen G. Smith, Kathryn S. Konrad, Sydney A. Fry, Alex L. Deal, Victor W. Kilonzo, Sambit Panda, Natale R. Sciolino, Jesse D. Cushman, Patricia Jensen
Summary: The study provides insights into the role of NE in contextual fear learning and the temporal dynamics of NE and DA release during freezing behavior. Freezing behavior is associated with changes in NE and DA release, with sensitivity to altered locus coeruleus-NE synthesis varying at different time points.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Edna C. Cieslik, Markus Ullsperger, Martin Gell, Simon B. Eickhoff, Robert Langner
Summary: Previous studies on error processing have primarily focused on the posterior medial frontal cortex, but the role of other brain regions has been underestimated. This study used activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses to explore brain activity related to committing errors and responding successfully in interference tasks. It was found that the salience network and the temporoparietal junction were commonly involved in both correct and incorrect responses, indicating their general involvement in coping with situations that require increased cognitive control. Error-specific convergence was observed in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, posterior thalamus, and left superior frontal gyrus, while successful responding showed stronger convergence in the dorsal attention network and lateral prefrontal regions. Underrecruitment of these regions in error trials may reflect failures in activating the appropriate stimulus-response contingencies necessary for successful response execution.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2024)