Karel Svoboda

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Brain's 'blue spot' sends targeted messages, not broadcasts

Study co-author

For decades, neuroscientists assumed the brain's 'blue spot' (a tiny cluster of cells in the brainstem) worked like a foghorn, blasting the same chemical signal everywhere. New research from the Allen Institute shows it's actually a targeted postal network, sending specific messages to specific brain regions.

Updated 2 hours ago

Notable Quotes

The findings suggest the brain's norepinephrine system is far more like a targeted postal network than a foghorn.

from Brain's 'blue spot' sends targeted messages, not broadcasts · Updated 2 hours ago

What emerged was a clear map: neurons in the dorsal LC that send signals upward to the cortex are involved in learning, whereas neurons in the ventral region projecting downward to the brainstem and spinal cord govern whether animals engage with their environment at all.

from Brain's 'blue spot' sends targeted messages, not broadcasts · Updated 2 hours ago