Ghrelin modulates brain activity in areas that control appetitive behavior.

Feeding behavior is often separated into homeostatic and hedonic components. Hedonic feeding, which can be triggered by visual or olfactory food cues, involves brain regions that play a role in reward and motivation, while homeostatic feeding is thought to be under the control of circulating hormones acting primarily on the hypothalamus. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone secreted by the gut that causes hunger and food consumption.

Computational estimation of the distribution of L-type Ca(2+) channels in motoneurons based on variable threshold of activation of persistent inward currents.

In the presence of neuromodulators such as serotonin and noradrenaline, motoneurons exhibit persistent inward currents (PICs) that serve to amplify synaptic inputs. A major component of these PICs is mediated by L-type Ca(2+) channels. Estimates based on electrophysiological studies indicate that these channels are located on the dendrites, but immunohistochemical studies of their precise distribution have yielded different results.