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Video 3 of 17
Noradrenaline signalling
Alertness, attention and the influence of changing demands.
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The highlights illustrate contributing systems. The precise mechanisms in ADHD are still being investigated.
Sources and model credits
Sources checked September 2026. Studies differ in age, methods and populations; their relevance is explained in Technical Detail. Everyday examples illustrate a process rather than a measured brain response.
- Locus coeruleus and basal forebrain in arousal and attention (2022)
- Noradrenaline at the interface of attention and reward (2023)
- Alpha-2 adrenergic receptors and ADHD (2010)
- Stress signalling and prefrontal function — Arnsten (2009)
- Locus coeruleus and adaptive gain — Aston-Jones and Cohen (2005)
- Human and animal evidence on ADHD mechanisms (2025)
- NICE NG87 — individual adjustments and ADHD-focused support
Anatomical surface adapted from Brain Project, Z-Anatomy / BodyParts3D, © DBCLS and contributors. Adapted geometry: CC BY-SA 4.0. Three.js: MIT licence.
Narration: Emma (Kokoro bf_emma). The recording is included in this file and plays offline.