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This small nucleus contains almost half of all the brain neurons that use norepinephrine as a neurotransmitter. The locus coeruleus also projects its axons to those parts of the brain that may be associated with panic disorders (the amygdala, hippocampus, septum, cortex, brainstem, reticular formation, etc). Stimulating an animal's locus coeruleus, like stimulating its amygdala, produces anxiety behaviours.
Scientists find new brain area for anxiety. Researchers have discovered that an area of the brain that was previously assumed to dampen response to stress, in fact does the opposite and directly promotes anxiety. In reporting their findings in the journal Cell, the investigators add a new dimension to the science of anxiety.