Roberts D C, Price M T, Fibiger H C
J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1976 Apr;90(4):363-72. doi: 10.1037/h0077207.
The hypothesis that the noradrenergic projection from the locus coeruleus (LC) to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus is an important neural substrate for learning was evaluated. Maze performance was studied in rats receiving either electrolytic lesions of LC or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the dorsal tegmental noradrenergic projection. The LC lesions did not disrupt the acquisition of a running response for food reinforcement in an L-shaped runway, even though hippocampal-cortical norepinephrine (NE) was reduced to 29%. Greater telencephalic NE depletions (to 6% of control levels) produced by 6-OHDA also failed to disrupt the acquisition of this behavior or to impair the acquisition of a food-reinforced position habit in a T-maze. Neither locomotor activity nor habituation to a novel environment was affected by the 6-OHDA lesions. Rats with such lesions were, however, found to be significantly more distractible than were controls during the performance of a previously trained response. The hypothesis that telencephalic NE is of fundamental importance in learning was not supported. The data suggest that this system may participate in attentional mechanisms.
对蓝斑（LC）到大脑皮层和海马体的去甲肾上腺素能投射是学习的重要神经基础这一假说进行了评估。在接受LC电解损伤或背侧被盖去甲肾上腺素能投射的6-羟基多巴胺（6-OHDA）损伤的大鼠中研究了迷宫表现。即使海马-皮层去甲肾上腺素（NE）减少到29%，LC损伤也未干扰L形跑道中为获取食物强化而进行的跑步反应的习得。由6-OHDA导致的更严重的端脑NE耗竭（降至对照水平的6%）也未能干扰这种行为的习得，或损害T形迷宫中食物强化位置习惯的习得。6-OHDA损伤既未影响运动活动，也未影响对新环境的习惯化。然而，发现有此类损伤的大鼠在执行先前训练的反应时比对照大鼠明显更容易分心。端脑NE在学习中至关重要这一假说未得到支持。数据表明该系统可能参与注意力机制。
