Tags: Anatomical Structure, Brain.
The ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) is a small cluster of neurons situated in the anterior hypothalamus to the side of the optic chiasm in the mammalian brain. The VLPO is active during sleep primarily during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM sleep) and releases inhibitory neurotransmitters mainly GABA and galanin which inhibit neurons that are involved in wakefulness and arousal. The VLPO is in turn innervated by neurons from brain regions involved in the arousal system.
