Role of infraslow (0-0.5 Hz) potential oscillations in the regulation of brain stress response by the locus coeruleus system

摘要

The locus coeruleus (LC), the main noradrenergic system in the brainstem, is thought to be an important system regulating the central stress response, possibly via neurocomputation of sensory input and modulation of forebrain activation. Although the functional significance of infraslow potentials oscillations (ISPO) originating in the LC is uncertain, the hypothesis guiding our research was that such oscillations play an important role in stress regulation. We found that restraint-induced stress in rats produced significant and protracted augmentation of ISPO in the LC, suggesting that it may be the basis of long-lasting activity shifts and infraslow dynamical regulation during stress.