12月12日的《科学》杂志报道说，研究人员长期以来都怀疑在脑干中的一个帮助协调对压力和惊恐反应的特别的神经核（称作蓝斑 -去甲肾上腺素或LC-NE）同时也参与认知控制和精神集中的过程。现在，研究人员称他们已经有了科学上的证据。
美国加州大学Michael Minzenberg及同事给予人类受试者一种叫做modafinil（又作：莫达非尼）的可以增进认知能力的药物，并同时对这些人的脑部活动用 fMRI进行监控。实验结果显示LC-NE系统可直接影响额叶前部皮层的功能，因此也能影响认知的控制能力。在这一研究中，modafinil的作用与LC-NE中的紧张性活动的降低以及与任务相关的及额叶前部皮层的活动增进有关，从而提示了一种相似类型药物的作用机制。Modafinil目前是日益受欢迎的治疗严重抑郁症、注意力缺陷/多动症和精神分裂症的药物。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Science，Vol. 322. no. 5908, pp. 1700 - 1702，Michael J. Minzenberg，Cameron S. Carter
Modafinil Shifts Human Locus Coeruleus to Low-Tonic, High-Phasic Activity During Functional MRI
Michael J. Minzenberg,* Andrew J. Watrous, Jong H. Yoon, Stefan Ursu, Cameron S. Carter
Models of cognitive control posit a key modulatory role for the pontine locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. In nonhuman primates, phasic LC-NE activity confers adaptive adjustments in cortical gain in task-relevant brain networks, and in performance, on a trial-by-trial basis. This model has remained untested in humans. We used the pharmacological agent modafinil to promote low-tonic/high-phasic LC-NE activity in healthy humans performing a cognitive control task during event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Modafanil administration was associated with decreased task-independent, tonic LC activity, increased task-related LC and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity, and enhanced LC-PFC functional connectivity. These results confirm in humans the role of the LC-NE system in PFC function and cognitive control and suggest a mechanism for therapeutic action of procognitive noradrenergic agents.
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA.
