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Noradrenaline acts on two classes of adrenergic receptor, α and β.[2] Noradrenergic neurones project widely throughout the brain, and there are many brain areas where serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine projections overlap, allowing interactions.[4]
Noradrenaline and the locus coeruleus are thought to have important input into the control the CNS exerts over mood, cognition, stress, arousal, pain, and other functions.[3,4] Malfunction of the locus coeruleus is thought to underlie disorders such as depression, anxiety, and disorders of attention and information processing.[4]
Low or abnormal noradrenaline activity is, theoretically, characterised by impaired attention; concentration, working memory and information processing difficulties; as well as psychomotor retardation, fatigue, and apathy.[1] In addition, abnormalities in the noradrenergic projection to the hypothalamus, which mediates stress response, are indicated in depressive and anxiety disorders.[3]