IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2903118
Open Access Review
Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine System: Spheres of Influence and Contribution to the Development of Neurodegenerative Diseases
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1 Department of Human Anatomy, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
2 Department of Normal and Topographic Anatomy, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
*Correspondence: arinia2000@yandex.ru (Arina Timofeevna Nikitina)
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(3), 118; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2903118
Submitted: 23 December 2023 | Revised: 1 February 2024 | Accepted: 20 February 2024 | Published: 20 March 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Locus coeruleus is a small bilateral nucleus in the brainstem. It is the main source of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) throughout the central nervous system (about 70% of all norepinephrine in the central nervous system), and, as shown in numerous studies, it is involved in regulating a significant number of functions. The detailed study of the functions of the Locus Coeruleus (LC) and its significance in human life became possible only after the development of histofluorescence methods for monoamines in the 1960s. The widespread locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) projection system regulates the entire central nervous system and modulates sensory processing, motor behavior, arousal, and cognitive processes. Damage to the LC and the associated decrease in norepinephrine levels are involved in a wide range of clinical conditions and pathological processes. Although much about the anatomy and physiology of the LC is currently known, its ultimate role in the regulation of behavior, control of the sleep-wake cycle, stress response, and the development of pathological conditions (such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, depression, suicidal behavior, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and Parkinson’s disease) is not fully understood. Non-invasive visualization of the LC can be used for differential diagnosis, determining the stage of the disease, and predicting its course. Studying the dysfunction of the LC-norepinephrine system, involved in the pathogenesis of various neurological diseases, may ultimately form the basis for the development of new treatment methods based on the pharmacological elevation of norepinephrine levels. In this review, we will attempt to highlight the key points regarding the structure and function of the Locus Coeruleus, as well as outline the main directions and prospects for its study.

Keywords
Locus Coeruleus
norepinephrine
projections
neurodegenerative diseases
magnetic resonance imaging
Figures
Fig. 1.
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