The Role of Central Monoaminergic Systems in Arousal and Selective Attention.
Abstract
The work described here is part of an ongoing set of studies aimed at characterizing the physiological actions and anatomical organization of the monoaminergic projection systems to the rat cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hypothalamus. The underlying theme of this work is that the endogenous monoamines, norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT), serve to modulate central neuronal responsiveness to afferent synaptic inputs and by so doing participate in the cognitive process of selective attention. Specifically, individual studies describe: 1) the effects of NE and 5-HT on rat visual and somatosensory cortical neuron responses to afferent pathway stimulation, 2) topographic organization of the neocortical projection neurons in the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus, 3) pharmacological characterization of NE effects in rat lateral hypothalamus and 4) similarity between the modulatory actions of NE and stimulant drugs, cocaine and amphetamine. Overall the data provide further support for the contention that the diffusely distributed monoamine systems of the mammalian brain may enhance the performance of target neuronal circuits as a function of changing behavioral conditions. Keywords: Neurochemistry.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA180508
Entities
People
- Barry D. Waterhouse
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin