Blue indicates the location of the tiny locus coeruleus within the brainstem. (Photo/Shutterstock.com)
The locus coeruleus region of the brain is essential for maintaining cognitive function as a person ages, but is vulnerable to toxins and infection. The locus coeruleus is a small, bluish part of the brainstem that releases norepinephrine, the neurotransmitter responsible for regulating heart rate, attention, memory, and cognition. Its cells, or neurons, send branch-like axons throughout much of the brain and help regulate blood vessel activity. Its high interconnectedness may make it more susceptible to the effects of toxins and infections compared to other brain regions.
Prof. Mather, added that the locus coeruleus is the first brain region to show tau pathology – the slow-spreading tangles of protein that can later become telltale signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Though not everyone will get Alzheimer’s, autopsy results indicate that most people have some initial indications of tau pathology in the locus coeruleus by early adulthood.
The norepinephrine released from the locus coeruleus may contribute to preventing Alzheimer’s symptoms. Studies conducted with rats and mice have shown that norepinephrine helps protect neurons from factors that kill the cells and accelerate Alzheimer’s disease, such as inflammation and excessive stimulation from other neurotransmitters. Norepinephrine is released when someone is engaged in or mentally challenged by an activity, whether it’s solving problems in the workplace, completing a word puzzle, or playing a difficult piece of music.
“Education and engaging careers produce late-life ‘cognitive reserve,’ or effective brain performance, despite encroaching pathology,” Mather said. “Activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system by novelty and mental challenge throughout one’s life may contribute to cognitive reserve.” http://news.usc.edu/91957/researchers-pinpoint-brain-region-as-ground-zero-of-alzheimers-disease/
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