Topic: catecholaminergic system

The nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) of the avian brain is a functional analogue of the mammalian prefrontal cortex. It plays a central role in different types of associative learning, including conditioning and extinction learning. The NCL receives a dense innervation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunopositive fibers, which form characteristic basket formations around their target somata. This distinctive innervation profile enabled the identification of the NCL in pigeons, chickens, zebra finches, crows and blackcaps. In this study, we characterized the catecholaminergic system of the Japane

Catecholamines play a crucial role in updating mental representations in a world where constant exposure to new information requires continuous adjustments in our actions. To examine how the catecholaminergic system may influence how we structure the continuous stream of information around us into manageable parts, this study makes use of the theory of event segmentation. Building on previous findings, we propose that methylphenidate’s effect on event segmentation behavior depends on learning/prior knowledge and stimulus novelty. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover stud

Stress induces catecholaminergic system adaptations implicated in the etiology of stress-related disorders. Adrenergic receptors (ARs) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) regulate phasic dopamine (DA) release in the mesolimbic system, associated with stress-related behavioral responses. Recently we demonstrated that intra-VTA ALPHA2-ARs (but not ALPHA1-ARs) modulation of such DA release is altered by acute stress (electric footshock). However, effects of different kind of stressors (e.g. psychosocial vs physical) on intra-VTA ALPHA2-AR signaling remains to be demonstrated.We studied the impact