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 ...

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 ...

Deep within the brainstem is a structure no bigger than a grain of rice, the locus coeruleus. The LC is often referred to as the “blue spot” because of a distinct blue pigment produced from its inner ...

Researchers at the University of Lausanne have identified a novel role for the brain's "locus coeruleus" in sleep and its disruptions. This brain region facilitates the transition between NREM and REM ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Mild exercise results in a feeling of mental clarity and enhances cognition and memory. A possible mechanism behind such effects is the activation of the arousal center in the brainstem ...