Document Type

Article

Version Deposited

Published Version

Publication Date

7-1-2024

Publication Title

Journal of Neurophysiology

DOI

10.1152/jn.00193.2023

Abstract

Our understanding of human brain function can be greatly aided by studying analogous brain structures in other organisms. One brain structure with neurochemical and anatomical homology throughout vertebrate species is the locus coeruleus (LC), a small collection of norepinephrine (NE)-containing neurons in the brainstem that project throughout the central nervous system. The LC is involved in nearly every aspect of brain function, including arousal and learning, which has been extensively examined in rats and nonhuman primates using single-unit recordings. Recent work has expanded into putative LC single-unit electrophysiological recordings in a nonmodel species, the zebra finch. Given the importance of correctly identifying analogous structures as research efforts expand to other vertebrates, we suggest adoption of consensus anatomical and electrophysiological guidelines for identifying LC neurons across species when evaluating brainstem single-unit spiking or calcium imaging. Such consensus criteria will allow for confident cross-species understanding of the roles of the LC in brain function and behavior.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Published Citation

Vreven A, Aston-Jones G, Pickering AE, Poe GR, Waterhouse B, Totah NK. In search of the locus coeruleus: guidelines for identifying anatomical boundaries and electrophysiological properties of the blue spot in mice, fish, finches, and beyond. J Neurophysiol. 2024 Jul 1;132(1):226-239. doi: 10.1152/jn.00193.2023. Epub 2024 Jun 6. PMID: 38842506.

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