Noradrenergic and serotonergic fibers innervate complementary layers in monkey primary visual cortex: an immunohistochemical study.

Abstract
Antisera directed against human dopamine .beta.-hydroxylase or serotonin were used to characterize the noradrenergic and serotonergic innervation patterns within the primary visual cortex of the squirrel monkey [Saimiri sciureus]. The noradrenergic and serotonergic projections exhibit a high degree of laminar complementarity: layers V and VI receive a dense noradrenergic projection and a very sparse serotonergic projection, whereas layer IV receives a very dense serotonergic projection and is largely devoid of noradrenergic fibers. The noradrenergic fibers manifest a geometric order that is not so readily apparent in the distribution of serotonergic fibers. Apparently, the 2 transmitter systems affect different stages of cortical information processing. The raphe-cortical serotonergic projection preferentially innervates the spiny stellate cells of layers IVa and IVc; the ceruleo-cortical noradrenergic projection innervates pyramidal cells.

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