Word: ceruleus
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Gorman, a Columbia University psychiatrist. But whatever the cause, the brain of a person who suffers from it is different from that of someone who does not. Stimulation studies using the drug yohimbine have revealed an abnormal firing rate in an area of the brain stem called the locus ceruleus, which is rich in cells that release the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, the trigger for human fight-or-flight response. This primal alarm system has obvious survival value--useful for fleeing man-eating tigers and such. But in patients with panic disorder, it appears to kick in at too low a threshold...
| 1 |