A research team led by Ryo Mizuyama and Associate Professor Satoshi XNUMXki of the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, found that noradrenaline secreted into the brain activates β-receptors during cognitive behavior under natural conditions. For the first time in the world, animal experiments have demonstrated that the visual function (contrast sensitivity) that distinguishes objects from slight differences in light and darkness is enhanced.
It is known that moderate tension improves performance in sports and the like.This suggests that the brain processes information suitable for the situation by changing its behavior according to the physiological state and behavioral context (background).
Noradrenaline is a neuromodulator that regulates brain conditions according to the situation in our brain and plays a role in expressing behaviors that are beneficial to survival.Previously, it has been known that noradrenaline regulates brain conditions suitable for "fight or flight" behavioral choices for survival when threatened and stressed.However, its role in other brain functions was not well understood.
Focusing on the action of noradrenaline, the research team administered three types of noradrenaline receptor (α3, α1, β-receptor) inhibitors to rats and investigated their effects on visual function.As a result, it was clarified that the visual function of distinguishing things from a slight difference in light and darkness was reduced only by β-blockers.
This result suggests that noradrenaline may be involved in the optimization of sensory information processing and work in a way that is advantageous for survival or sports performance. It is expected to lead to the construction of a methodology that is fully expressed.
