Decision making, the P3, and the locus coeruleus--norepinephrine system.

Decision making, the P3, and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system.

Psychologists and neuroscientists have had a long-standing interest in the P3, a prominent component of the event-related brain potential. This review aims to integrate knowledge regarding the neural basis of the P3 and to elucidate its functional role in information processing. The authors review evidence suggesting that the P3 reflects phasic activity of the neuromodulatory locus coeruleus-no...

Learning, the P3, and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system

Organization of the Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine System

The release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine throughout the mammalian brain is important for modulating attention, arousal, and cognition during many behaviors. Furthermore, disruption of norepinephrine-mediated signaling is strongly associated with several psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders in humans, emphasizing the clinical importance of this system. Most of the norepinephrine...

Not So Uncertain at Last: Locus Coeruleus and Decision Making

A report by Payzan-LeNestour et al. (2013) in this issue of Neuron shows that the human locus coeruleus, a brain stem nucleus containing cell bodies of noradrenergic neurons, dynamically tracks the level of uncertainty about knowledge of the environment while making decisions.

The Effects of Locus Coeruleus and Norepinephrine in Methamphetamine Toxicity

The activity of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons has been extensively investigated in a variety of behavioural states. In fact this norepinephrine (NE)-containing nucleus modulates many physiological and pathological conditions including the sleep-waking cycle, movement disorders, mood alterations, convulsive seizures, and the effects of drugs such as psychostimulants and opioids. This review focus...