Modulation Of VPM Thalamic Units By The Locus Ceruleus

David M. Devilbiss, Michelle E. Page, and Barry D. Waterhouse

The noradrenergic neurons of the locus ceruleus (LC) influence sleep and wakefulness, as well as attention and feeding, through their diffuse projections. Devilbiss et al. sought to link the established cellular actions of norepinephrine to LC function. In a technical tour de force, the authors measured the effects of LC output on the sensory response properties of single neurons in the ventral posteriomedial (VPM) thalamus of awake, quietly resting rats. Microstimulation of the LC output enhanced norepinephrine influx in VPM and modulated the responses of individual units (neurons) to whiskerpad stimulation. Although units could show cell-specific behaviors, as a group, the responsiveness of VPM neurons was facilitated at low rates of LC stimulation but showed an inverted "U" response profile as LC stimulation increased. LC stimulation also altered correlated firing between groups of VPM neurons, effectively modulating their functional connectivity.

###

News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience

Contact: Sara Harris
Society for Neuroscience
(责任编辑：泉水)

搜索

热门标签:

Modulation Of VPM Thalamic Units By The Locus Ceruleus