A new study published in the journal nature in early June, noradrenalinea brain neuromodulator, often associated with arousal and increased alertness, an important role in marking surprise. According to scientists, whenever your brain asks you to pay attention to something important, it sends out a burst of norepinephrine!
Noradrenaline, also called norepinephrine, is a chemical compound that works as a neuromodulator of various processes in the body, mainly produced in a small nucleus of the brain known as the locus coeruleus (LC). Unlike neurotransmitters that carry cell-to-cell communication, noradrenaline is released “wholesale” and reaches large areas of the brain.
According to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA, when the brain encounters a surprising event, the LC is activated in the dorsal bridge of the brain stem and releases a large amount of noradrenaline from there. , “encodes reinforcement to improve performance accuracy as well as facilitate task execution”.
How was the noradrenaline study done?
To prove their hypothesis, the researchers conditioned thirsty mice to push a lever when they heard a high frequency of sound, but not to trigger when the tone was low. The rats were given water when their answer was correct, but inhaled an uncomfortable air if incorrect.
Continuing the methodology, the researchers found that when the rodent makes a mistake and gets the air jet, LC releases a burst of noradrenaline in the brain, which allowed them to make fewer mistakes in subsequent tests. But when the scientists inhibited LC activity and thus cut off the neuromodulator, the mice’s uncertainty increased, showing that the compound also plays a role in making the decision to obtain the reward.
The researchers concluded that when they disabled the LC, the functioning of the organ resulted in both execution and optimization of the task. “The coerulean locus encodes unexpected events and pays attention to these surprising events. it is very important for the brain to carefully consider its environment”, says Mriganka Sur, professor of neuroscience and senior author of the study.
ARTICLE Nature – DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04782-2.
Source: Tec Mundo
I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
