{
  "id": 11255065,
  "title": "Seizures in a Dravet Syndrome mouse model inhibit the locus coeruleus but locally evoke supraphysiologic norepinephrine release",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/seizures-in-a-dravet-syndrome-mouse-model-inhibit-the-locus-coeruleus",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.25.754424v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dravet Syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that affects the brain's ability to regulate seizure activity. To better understand this condition, researchers have developed a mouse model that mimics the disorder. In this study, scientists examined the locus coeruleus (LC) neurons, which are responsible for releasing norepinephrine (NE) into various brain regions. The LC-NE network plays a crucial role in regulating arousal, attention, and memory. However, the exact behavior of this network during seizures is still uncertain.\n\nTo investigate this, researchers combined electrocorticography recordings and in vivo imaging to measure the somatic activity of LC-NE neurons during hyperthermia-induced seizures in the mouse model. Their findings revealed that while LC-NE somatic activity was suppressed during seizures, the release of NE was significantly increased. To explain this discrepancy, they discovered that activation of downstream regions could locally trigger NE release. This activation was partly mediated through the stimulation of glutamate receptors, which aligns with the Glutamate Amplifies Noradrenergic Effects (GANE) model.\n\nFurthermore, the researchers confirmed that NE release occurred in various downstream brain regions, epilepsy models, and different seizure induction methods. These results suggest that the disruption of NE signaling during seizures is likely a widespread ictal signature, with potential implications for impaired consciousness both during and after the seizure. This discovery could have significant implications for developing new treatments targeting the LC-NE network in the management of epilepsy.",
  "summary": "Locus coeruleus (LC) neurons are the primary source of norepinephrine / noradrenaline (NE) released to most brain structures, including seizure-prone neocortical and limbic regions. LC-NE networks regulate numerous physiological processes, including arousal, attention, and memory. Previous evidence suggests that LC-NE neurons may be involved in epilepsy and that their activation may have…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}