Re: Locus Ceruleus

Joanne S. Luciano (jluciano@cns.bu.edu)
Fri, 15 Mar 1996 09:47:28 -0500

The locus ceruleus (LC) is one of two sources of norepinephrine (NE),
(the other is the lateral tegmental area). In humans, the LC is
composed of about 12,000 large neurons on each side of the brain.

(see Jack R. Cooper and Floyd E. Bloom and Robert H. Roth, Oxford
University Press The Biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology, Sixth
Edition, 1991.

NE is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It is involved in the stress
response, for one (see Jay M. Weiss: booktitle = Neurobiology of
Learning, Emotion, and Affect, editor = John Madden IV, pages =
"123-154", publisher = "Raven Press, Ltd., title = Stress-Induced
Depression: Critical Neurochemical and Electrophysical Changes, 1991.

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There is, of course, more to it than that, but that's the best I can
do at the moment. Hope this helps.

Joanne Luciano
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