Neurotransmitters: Norepinephrine

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Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is a neurotransmitter and a hormone that plays a crucial role in the body's "fight or flight" response. It's produced both in the brain, where it acts as a neurotransmitter, and in the adrenal glands, where it serves as a hormone.
In the brain, norepinephrine is primarily involved in arousal and alertness. It influences attention, emotion, sleeping, dreaming, and learning. Norepinephrine is released in response to stress and it's responsible for causing many of the immediate reactions we associate with a stress response, such as increased heart rate, release of glucose from energy stores, increased blood flow to skeletal muscle, and the modulation of the brain's response to stress.
In the peripheral nervous system, norepinephrine acts as a hormone, contributing to the regulation of blood pressure by causing blood vessels to constrict. This is part of the general increase in sympathetic nervous system activity, which also includes accelerating heart rate and increasing cardiac output.
Norepinephrine's levels and function are carefully balanced in the body. Dysregulation of norepinephrine is linked to several conditions, including depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some medications used to treat these conditions work by altering the levels of norepinephrine in the brain.
In summary, norepinephrine is an essential neurotransmitter and hormone that helps prepare the body to act in stressful situations, regulates mood, and maintains alertness and focus.
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