Fig. 1
a Cellular model of modafinil action on LC-NE neuron, indicating how NET inhibition (red Xs on schematic neuron in second row) by modafinil increases NE at the cell-body α2 autoreceptor, leading to moderately-slowed tonic discharge rate, and increased NE release (via both enhanced task-related discharge and terminal NET inhibition). b Hypothetical model of inverted-U curve relating control-related catecholamine cell activity to tonic activity, and the relative effects of NET inhibition by modafinil in healthy subjects (HC) vs. subjects with schizophrenia (SZ). The present results suggest that compared to HC, the SZ group exhibits relatively less control-independent deactivation in the LC (blue), relatively greater control-independent deactivation in the VTA (blue), and less control-related positive activation in both LC and VTA (red). Figures modified from Invernizzi and Garattini, 2004, and Aston-Jones and Cohen, 2005
