Trends in Neurosciences
Neurocircuitry of stress: central control of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenocortical axis
Section snippets
Central co-ordination of glucocorticoid release: role of the paraventricular nucleus
Central control of glucocorticoid secretion is regulated principally by a select population of neurosecretory neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Upon stimulation by stress, these neurons secrete a cocktail of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretagogues, the most important of which are corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP), into the pituitary portal circulation[5]. Subsequent increases in circulating ACTH then drive synthesis and
Initiating the stress response
Excitation of the HPA axis is driven by select central stress circuits (Table 1). Notable among these are brainstem catecholamine-producing pathways, which project directly to CRH-containing neurons of the PVN (Refs 12, 13). Catecholaminergic drive appears to promote HPA secretory activity following hemorrhage, hypotension and respiratory distress[14], and might play a role in ACTH responses to immune challenge as well[15]. The excitatory effects of catecholamines on HPA activation appear to be
Limiting the stress response
The importance of maintaining glucocorticoid secretion within tolerable limits requires efficient mechanisms for inhibiting stress-integrative PVN neurons. This process appears to be accomplished by multiple pathways (Table 2). Notably, glucocorticoid injections into the PVN region downregulate CRH mRNA, decrease ACTH secretion and inhibit medial parvocellular PVN neurons[5], suggesting that glucocorticoid negative feedback acts at the PVN neuron itself. The capacity for direct glucocorticoid
Hypothesis: `processive' vs `systemic' stress pathways
The literature suggests that the stress-regulatory circuit activated by a particular stressor is crucially dependent on stimulus attributes (see Table 1, Table 2). In general, limbic stress pathways are most sensitive to stressors involving higher-order sensory processing. For example, HPA responses to restraint, fear conditioning or exposure to a novel environment are affected by lesions of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus or amygdala. These stressors have common features: (1) all require
Brain stress regulation in disease
Neuronally mediated control of the hypothalamic PVN (and subsequent glucocorticoid secretion) is clearly crucial for maintenance of health and well-being under basal and `stressful' conditions. The data reviewed above add important insight to the understanding of human stress-related HPA pathology. For example, alterations in neuroendocrine control induced by life stresses are likely to be associated with limbic dysfunction, involving regions such as the hippocampal formation, medial prefrontal
References (81)
Prog. Neurobiol.
(1993)Neuroscience
(1995)Brain Res.
(1994)- et al.
Brain Res.
(1982) Brain Res.
(1987)Brain Res.
(1991)- et al.
Brain Res. Bull.
(1987) Eur. J. Pharmacol.
(1991)Brain Res.
(1983)- et al.
Physiol. Behav.
(1982)
Neuroscience
Brain Res.
Brain Res.
Psychoneuroendocrinology
J. Affect. Disord.
Arch. Intern. Med.
Am. J. Psychiatry
Arch. Gen. Psychiatry
Acta Endocrinol.
Endocr. Rev.
Ciba Found. Symp.
J. Neuroendocrinol.
Neuroendocrinology
Am. J. Psychiatry
Neuroendocrinology
J. Comp. Neurol.
J. Comp. Neurol.
Endocr. Rev.
J. Neurosci.
J. Neurosci.
Prog. Brain Res.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.
Annu. Rev. Neurosci.
Neuroendocrinology
Neuroendocrinology
Neuroendocrinology
Neuroendocrinology
J. Comp. Neurol.
J. Comp. Neurol.
J. Neuroendocrinol.
Cited by (1898)
SNX27: A trans-species cognitive modulator with implications for anxiety and stress susceptibility
2024, Neurobiology of StressSocial context in stress and autism: comparing physiological profiles across two social paradigms in youth with and without autism spectrum disorder
2024, Research in Autism Spectrum DisordersA high salt intake in early life affects stress-coping response in males but not in female rats
2024, Physiology and BehaviorValidity of mental and physical stress models
2024, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral ReviewsGenetic and environmental influences on alpha amylase stress reactivity and shared genetic covariation with cortisol
2024, PsychoneuroendocrinologyRegulation of stress-induced sleep fragmentation by preoptic glutamatergic neurons
2024, Current Biology