A new hope: locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system at the nexus of neuropsychiatric symptoms (opens in new tab)

The earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are frequently characterized by neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as anxiety, agitation, depression, compulsivity, appetite dysregulation, and sleep disturbances, often preceding measurable cognitive decline. Evidence from clinical and animal studies implicates hyperactivity of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system as a mechanistic driver of these behaviors. Here, we review noradrenergic circuits that can potentially underlie psyc...