The role of the locus coeruleus in shaping adaptive cortical melodies

Neural dynamics are shaped and constrained by the projections of a small nucleus in the pons: the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC). Much like a bow to the brain's violin, activity in the LC lacks content specificity, but instead dynamically shapes the excitability and receptivity of neurons across the brain. In this review, we explain how the style of the bowing technique, which is analogous to different firing modes in the LC, affects distinct activity patterns in the rest of the brain. Through this analogical lens, we provide intuitive insights into how the complex activity of the LC acts to coordinate adaptive neural dynamics.