The noradrenaline pathways in panic disorder
In panic disorder there is increased noradrenaline transmission from both the locus coeruleus and the caudal raphe nuclei. The locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system may have a significant role in processing fear-related stimuli or it may affect fear-related processing by stimulating other regions of the brain implicated in anxiety and fear behaviours ie amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cortex and spinal cord.
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References
J Clin Psychiatry 1997;58(Suppl. 2):4–11.