Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: 1  More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary. 2  Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes. 3  Advanced search features. 4  Ad free!
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.
The National Institute of Mental Health explains: . Several parts of the brain are key actors in the production of fear and anxietyâ¦ scientists have discovered that the amygdala and the hippocampus play significant roles in most anxiety disorders.