Neuromodulatory pathways
pathways that do not carry specific sensory info or motor commands
neurons in neuromodulatory pathway serving fxs such as
regulating baseline level of activity in broader regions of nervous system to control
arousal, sleep wake cycling, and vigilance
gaiting flow of information within nervous system determines
ex. which info is attended to, reaches consciousness and/or generates a behavioral response
regulate cognitive fxns such as
mood, motivation, memory
en passant terminals
some of the neurons of in neuromodulatory system use these terminals to release neurotransmitter to neuropil to broadly affect regional neurons rather than forming conventional synapses w/ specific neuron populations
en passant terminals act on
Neuromodulatory systems
Monoaminergic systems
ARAS system main location
Cholinergic
release acetylcholine as major neurotransmitter
Other neurons contributing to ARAS (other than cholinergic neurons in reticular formation)
input to ARAS
Information coming in ARAS can
alert brain that potentially threatening or important event occurred w/o regard for details of sensory stimulus
Where does more processed information reaching ARAS neurons come from
cholinergic neurons project to
- specific cholinergic basal nuclei
cholinergic neurons to basal nuclei
ascending cholinergic neurons reach basal nuclei via
pathway through lateral thalamus
monoaminergic pathways from locus coeruleus, raphe nuclei, and tuberomammillary nuclei
ARAS functions in
sleep wake cycle and alertness
Lesions that interrupt ARAS pathway are located in
anticholinergic drugs
monoaminergic systems
monoaminergic system modulates
behavioral processes including: