Brain Nuclei: Clinical Relevance
| Nucleus | Neuro- transmitter | Medication | Location | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locus coeruleus | NE | Tofranil, Nardil, Xanax, Inderal, Depakote | Brain stem | Panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (full activation), arousal, anxiety, learning (moderate activation) |
| Amygdala | DA ACH | Anticonvulsants, antipsychotics | Limbic system | Involved in control of emotional tone. Implicated in inappropriate rage, fear, sexuality, seizures |
| Suprachiasmatic nucleus | 5-HT EAA GABA | SSRIs | Hypothalamus | Internal pacemaker. Possibly involved in seasonal and nonseasonal affective disorders. |
| Solitary nucleus | NE 5-HT(?) | Tofranil, Nardil, Inderal, SSRIs | Brain stem | Involved in suffocation alarm theory of panic disorder. |
| Dorsal raphe | 5-HT | BuSpar, Klonopin, SSRIs | Brain stem | Involved in decreasing anxiety. Site of action of Buspar |
| Corpus striatum (basal ganglia) | DA | Antipsychotics, L-DOPA | Cerebral hemispheres | Mediates involuntary muscle movement, tone. Site of Parkinson’s disease, medication side effects. Involved in affective disorders and OCD. |
| Hypothalamus | NE DA 5-HT EAA | Almost all psychotropics | Immediately above the brain stem | Directs homeostasis, mind-body link, interface of nerve, hormone, and immune systems. Regulates autonomic nervous system. |
| Accumbens | DA | Antipsychotics | Limbic system | Mediates the reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse. Involved in deficit schizophrenia. |