title: Cholinergic and noradrenergic modulation of thalamocortical processing.
abstract: During periods of drowsiness and synchronized sleep, thalamocortical neuronal activity is dominated by rhythmic oscillations. The shift to waking and attentiveness is associated with an abolition of these rhythms and a marked increase in neuronal responsiveness to synaptic inputs. These shifts in thalamocortical processing are controlled by ascending modulatory neurotransmitter systems of which the cholinergic and noradrenergic components play a key role. By altering the amplitude of specialized potassium currents in thalamic and cortical neurons, acetylcholine and norepinephrine can block the generation of thalamocortical rhythms and promote a state of excitability that is consistent with cognition.
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology*