Brain Function & Surprises

What happens in the brain when it is surprised?

 The brain responds to a surprise by releasing the neuromodulator noradrenaline (also known as norepinephrine). Neuromodulators are substances that can act mimic hormones or neurotransmitters. Dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine are also neuromodulators. Produced by the locus coeruleus nuclei in the brain, neuromodulators tend to be released over large areas of the brain, allowing them to exert more general effects. (Incidentally, noradrenaline is remarkably similar to adrenaline, with a reported one atom of difference between the two.) One of noradrenaline’s functions is to increase the intensity of the brain’s response to a surprise and to help the brain learn from the surprise. Intensity increases the likelihood that the brain will store the memory. This can help explain how human beings tend to recall situations from childhood that involved a big surprise or a big disappointment.