[ad_1]
The presence of alcohol in the body inhibits a brain signal that lets you pay attention, according to research conducted by experts at the Center des Sciences de la santé du University of Texas at San Antonio (United States), which revealed why drinkers lose their balance when walking.
Martin Paukert, lead author of the book, explained that “when we want to focus on something, or when we get up from a chair and become active, the nucleus of the brainstem releases a chemical called norepinephrine, but acute exposure to alcohol inhibits this signal in the brain. “
When attention is needed for a task, norepinephrine is secreted by a brain structure called locus cerleo.
Previously, scientists didn’t quite understand what was going on, but this research has shown that norepinephrine binds to receptors on cells called gla de Bergmann, which are astrocytes (care or support cells) in the cerebellum, a region near the brainstem.
“To our knowledge, this work is the first description that noradrenaline in mammals binds directly to Bergmann gla receptors and activates them thanks to the elevation of calcium“, explained Paukert, in the book published in the journal ‘Nature Communications’, reported the press agency Tlam.
The researchers focused on Bergmann’s gla, but also showed that the same phenomenon occurs in cortical astrocytes. “Most likely, monitoring astrocyte dependent calcium activation is inhibited throughout the brain by acute alcohol poisoning“The researcher reflected. This is why people under the influence of alcohol lose their balance when walking.
The researchers hoped to find that inhibiting the increase in calcium in Bergmann’s gla would also explain this, but it does not. “Elevation of calcium in Bergmann’s gla not critical for motor coordination, which is somewhat surprising because the cerebellum is classically known for its role in motor control, ”explained the expert.
However, Paukert noted, “our results are consistent with current suggestions which the cerebellum also plays a critical role in non-motor functions, and that astrocytes not only support basic brain maintenance, but can actively participate in cognitive function. ”
.
[ad_2]
Source link