Locus coeruleus-related insula activation supports implicit learning.

ABSTRACT: The noradrenergic locus coeruleus and its neuromodulatory cortical projections are critical for adaptive behavior, yet their contributions to implicit learning in novel environments remain incompletely understood, due to challenges in non-invasive assessment. Here, we combined multimodal neuroimaging-including locus-coeruleus-sensitive structural MRI, concurrent pupillometry-fMRI, and PET-derived noradrenergic transporter maps-with repeated behavioral assessments to investigate noradrenergic contributions to implicit learning across younger and older adults (n = 77). Salient expectation-violating stimuli elicited pupil dilation, indicating enhanced neuromodulation, activated the action-mode network and deactivated the default-mode network. Pupil-linked BOLD responses suggested a functional

SUBMITTER: Dahl MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12247865 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature