Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Raoni Conceicao dos-Santos, Brook L. W. Sweeten, Claire E. Stelly, Jeffrey G. Tasker
Summary: Stress has effects on the nervous system at different signaling levels and time scales. Glucocorticoids, the main effectors of stress plasticity, act on multiple receptor subtypes in different cellular compartments, leading to changes in synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. This review focuses on the rapid actions of acute stress-induced glucocorticoids in modulating synaptic and intrinsic neuronal properties. The stress-related brain structures, such as the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, exhibit synaptic plasticity in response to single or short-term stress exposure.
Article
Neurosciences
Mariel P. Seiglie, Lauren Lepeak, Clara Velazquez-Sanchez, Antonio Ferragud, Teresa Le, Pietro Cottone, Valentina Sabino
Summary: Many psychiatric diseases are caused by an inability to cope with stress, and chronic stress can worsen these conditions. However, the mechanisms behind the brain's response to chronic stress and resulting anxiety are not well understood. This study focused on the role of stress neuropeptides in the extended amygdala circuitry and found that their hyperactivity may be responsible for negative outcomes and the development of anxiety-related and trauma-related disorders. Specifically, the researchers discovered that Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its receptor PAC1R play a key role in stress regulation within the central amygdala (CeA). They used a model of psychosocial stress in rodents and found that chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) led to increased PACAP levels and PAC1R expression in the CeA. By silencing PAC1R in the CeA, they were able to attenuate the negative effects of CSDS, such as body weight loss and increased anxiety-like behaviors. Furthermore, this knockdown also reduced basal corticosterone (CORT) levels, suggesting a potential role in modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Overall, these findings suggest that the PACAP-PAC1R system in the CeA plays a critical role in the behavioral outcomes of chronic psychosocial stress, possibly through its interaction with the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Andrea G. Roberts, Melissa K. Peckins, Arianna M. Gard, Tyler C. Hein, Felicia A. Hardi, Colter Mitchell, Christopher S. Monk, Luke W. Hyde, Nestor L. Lopez -Duran
Summary: Threat-related amygdala reactivity and HPA axis activation are linked to negative psychiatric outcomes. Enhanced amygdala activation in response to threat may be related to hyper-reactivity of the HPA axis.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mitjan Morr, Jeanine Noell, Daphne Sassin, Jule Daniels, Alexandra Philipsen, Benjamin Becker, Birgit Stoffel-Wagner, Rene Hurlemann, Dirk Scheele
Summary: Loneliness may contribute to vulnerability to intrusive memories after trauma in healthy men, with altered limbic processing of fear signals being a potential underlying mechanism. Lonely men showed more intrusions and altered amygdala activity, while loneliness did not have the same impact on women.
Article
Neurosciences
Nathalie E. Holz, Alexander Haege, Michael M. Plichta, Regina Boecker-Schlier, Christine Jennen-Steinmetz, Sarah Baumeister, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Manfred Laucht, Tobias Banaschewski, Daniel Brandeis
Summary: Evidence suggests that early maternal care plays a crucial role in socioemotional neurodevelopment of offspring, especially in high familial risk situations. Furthermore, there is an interaction effect between maternal stimulation and familial risk on amygdala habituation, but not on activation.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nathaniel G. G. Harnett, Negar Fani, Sierra Carter, Leon D. D. Sanchez, Grace E. E. Rowland, William M. M. Davie, Camilo Guzman, Lauren A. M. Lebois, Timothy D. D. Ely, Sanne J. H. van Rooij, Antonia V. V. Seligowski, Sterling Winters, Lana R. R. Grasser, Paul I. I. Musey Jr, Mark J. J. Seamon, Stacey L. L. House, Francesca L. L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C. C. Neylan, Gari D. D. Clifford, Sarah D. D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. T. Germine, Kenneth A. A. Bollen, Scott L. L. Rauch, John P. P. Haran, Alan B. B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Phyllis L. L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. W. Jones, Brittany E. E. Punches, Robert A. A. Swor, Lauren A. A. Hudak, Jose L. L. Pascual, Erica Harris, Anna M. M. Chang, Claire Pearson, David A. A. Peak, Roland C. C. Merchant, Robert M. M. Domeier, Niels K. K. Rathlev, Steven E. E. Bruce, Mark W. W. Miller, Robert H. H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. M. Barch, Diego A. A. Pizzagalli, Steven E. E. Harte, James M. M. Elliott, Ronald C. C. Kessler, Karestan C. C. Koenen, Samuel A. A. McLean, Tanja Jovanovic, Jennifer S. S. Stevens, Kerry J. J. Ressler
Summary: Considerable racial/ethnic disparities persist in exposure to life stressors and socioeconomic resources that affect the amygdala. Limited work has investigated potential racial/ethnic variability in amygdala reactivity or connectivity related to outcomes such as PTSD.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Yishan Qu, Lizi Zhang, Shucheng An, Fadao Tai, Hui Qiao
Summary: This study aims to investigate the relationship between empathy and stress by establishing a chronic stress contagion procedure combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress. The results show that chronic stress impairs empathy-like behaviors, while social contact partially buffers the effect of stress. Higher dopamine and lower norepinephrine levels in the basolateral amygdala may contribute to these beneficial effects.
COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Ping Wang, Xinwei Hao, Xiaohan Li, Yizhi Yan, Wenxiu Tian, Lin Xiao, Zhenming Wang, Junhong Dong
Summary: Curcumin inhibits tumor proliferation and invasion induced by psychological stress, possibly by suppressing NE-induced signaling pathways and related protein expression.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Leone Malan, Mark Hamer, Roland von Kaenel, Konstantin Kotliar, Roelof D. van Wyk, Gavin W. Lambert, Walthard Vilser, Tjalf Ziemssen, Markus P. Schlaich, Wayne Smith, Martin Magnusson, Annemarie Wentzel, Carlien E. Myburgh, Hendrik S. Steyn, Nico T. Malan
Summary: The study found that retinal vessel dynamics may relate to chronic stress and stroke risk, with low norepinephrine levels triggering an increase in sympatho-adrenal-medullary axis activity while concurrent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation attenuated retinal vein vasoactivity, resulting in delayed recovery responses and non-adaptation to stress.
CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Haley M. Appelmann, Andrew W. Manigault, Ryan C. Shorey, Peggy M. Zoccola
Summary: Childhood adversity may alter adult HPA axis habituation to repeated stress, potentially leading to sex differences. Future research should further investigate how HPA axis habituation to repeated stress may impact the effects of childhood adversity on adult health.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Veronika Kondev, Amanda Morgan, Mustafa Najeed, Nathan D. Winters, Philip J. Kingsley, Lawrence Marnett, Sachin Patel
Summary: This study found that 2-AG augmentation has a bidirectional effect on innate and conditioned fear behavior, with increased 2-AG levels promoting innate fear responses during stress exposure, but ultimately resulting in a reduction in long-term conditioned fear.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hagar G. Yamin, Guy Gurevitch, Tomer Gazit, Lavi Shpigelman, Itzhak Fried, Yuval Nir, Yoav Benjamini, Talma Hendler
Summary: By analyzing simultaneous recordings of scalp EEG and unit activity, we found that the average firing activity of two medial temporal lobe areas can be estimated from EEG spectral features. Changes in firing activity in both areas and states can be predicted from scalp EEG frequency modulations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yan-Fen Chen, Qi Song, Paola Colucci, Federica Maltese, Cristina Siller-Perez, Karina Prins, James L. McGaugh, Erno J. Hermans, Patrizia Campolongo, Nael Nadif Kasri, Benno Roozendaal
Summary: Noradrenergic activation of the basolateral amygdala influences recognition memory by suppressing activity in the anterior insular cortex. This finding sheds light on the broader dynamics of the brain network involved in emotional regulation of memory.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Lindsay R. Halladay, Steven M. Herron
Summary: Nearly one percent of children in the US suffer from childhood neglect or abuse, leading to long-term emotional and behavioral disorders. Research has mainly focused on the dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as a result of early life stress. However, recent evidence suggests that early life stress can also affect neural development in extrahypothalamic areas such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Maternal separation (MS) in rodents, a commonly used approach, has shown to induce lasting effects including increased anxiety, hyper-responsiveness to stress, and deficits in social behavior. The BNST has been identified as a critical mediator of the consequences of MS, particularly in socioemotional behavioral deficits, due to its connections with hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic systems.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chiara Lasconi, Matthew C. Pahl, Diana L. Cousminer, Claudia A. Doege, Alessandra Chesi, Kenyaita M. Hodge, Michelle E. Leonard, Sumei Lu, Matthew E. Johnson, Chun Su, Reza K. Hammond, James A. Pippin, Natalie A. Terry, Louis R. Ghanem, Rudolph L. Leibel, Andrew D. Wells, Struan F. A. Grant
Summary: This study suggests the hypothalamus plays a significant genetic role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with depression and stress. The enrichment of IBD single-nucleotide polymorphisms in human embryonic stem cell-derived hypothalamic-like neurons (HNs) and colonoids indicates a potential link between these genes and stress regulation. Additionally, the study implicates key stress regulators in hypothalamic-like neurons and immune/hormonal signaling pathways in the context of IBD.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Laura A. Grafe, Darrell Eacret, Sandra Luz, Anthony L. Gotter, John J. Renger, Chris J. Winrow, Seema Bhatnagar
Article
Psychiatry
J. Pearson-Leary, D. Eacret, R. Chen, H. Takano, B. Nicholas, S. Bhatnagar
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2017)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Darrell Eacret, Laura A. Grafe, Jane Dobkin, Anthony L. Gotter, John J. Renger, Christopher J. Winrow, Seema Bhatnagar
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2019)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Laura A. Grafe, Seema Bhatnagar
FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Madeleine Salvatore, Kimberly R. Wiersielis, Sandra Luz, David E. Waxler, Seema Bhatnagar, Debra A. Bangasser
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2018)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Philip A. Cook, Thomas M. Johnson, Suzanne G. Martin, Philip R. Gehrman, Seema Bhatnagar, James C. Gee
JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA
(2018)
Article
Neurosciences
Shannon R. Blume, Hannah Nam, Sandra Luz, Debra A. Bangasser, Seema Bhatnagar
Review
Neurosciences
Laura A. Grafe, Seema Bhatnagar
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Beverly A. S. Reyes, Xiao-Yan Zhang, Elsa C. Dufourt, Seema Bhatnagar, Rita J. Valentino, Elisabeth J. Van Bockstaele
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiah Pearson-Leary, Chunyu Zhao, Kyle Bittinger, Darrell Eacret, Sandra Luz, Abigail S. Vigderman, Gabriel Dayanim, Seema Bhatnagar
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brian F. Corbett, Sandra Luz, Jay Arner, Jiah Pearson-Leary, Abhishek Sengupta, Deanne Taylor, Philip Gehrman, Richard Ross, Seema Bhatnagar
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2019)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jiah Pearson-Leary, Darrell Eacret, Seema Bhatnagar
STRESS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Kimberly R. Urban, Eric Geng, Seema Bhatnagar, Rita J. Valentino
NEUROBIOLOGY OF STRESS
(2019)
Article
Neurosciences
Laura A. Grafe, Darrell Eacret, Jane Dobkin, Seema Bhatnagar
Article
Neurosciences
Laura A. Grafe, Amanda Cornfeld, Sandra Luz, Rita Valentino, Seema Bhatnagar
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2017)
Article
Neurosciences
Yang He, Jun Tang, Meng Zhang, Junjie Ying, Dezhi Mu
Summary: This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of human placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) transplantation in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The results showed that hPMSCs transplantation reduced apoptosis and improved long-term neurological prognosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of Sema 3A/NRP-1 expression and activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway played a key role in the protective effects of hPMSCs.
Article
Neurosciences
Emily L. Isenstein, Edward G. Freedman, Jiayi Xu, Ian A. DeAndrea-Lazarus, John J. Foxe
Summary: This study evaluated electrophysiological discrimination of parametric somatosensory stimuli in healthy young adults to understand how the brain processes the duration of tactile information. The results showed that participants did not electrophysiologically discriminate between 100 and 115 ms, but they exhibited distinct electrophysiological responses when the deviant stimuli were 130, 145, and 160 ms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of tactile sensitivity in different clinical conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Juliana R. Souza, Ludmila Lima-Silveira, Daniela Accorsi-Mendonca, Benedito H. Machado
Summary: This study demonstrates that A2A receptors play a crucial role in modulating synaptic transmission in the NTS neurons and are required for the enhancement of glutamatergic transmission observed under short-term sustained hypoxia conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Miki Hashizume, Rina Ito, Rie Suge, Yasushi Hojo, Gen Murakami, Takayuki Murakoshi
Summary: The basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA) is closely involved in the formation of emotional memories, including both aversive memory and contextual fear memory. Acute sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts the acquisition of tone-associated fear memory in juvenile rats, but has no significant effect on contextual fear memory. Slow network oscillation in the amygdala contributes to the formation of amygdala-dependent fear memory in relation to sleep.
Article
Neurosciences
Qunxian Wang, Shipeng Guo, Dongjie Hu, Xiangjun Dong, Zijun Meng, Yanshuang Jiang, Zijuan Feng, Weihui Zhou, Weihong Song
Summary: GSDME plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by regulating the switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis and participating in neuroinflammatory response. Knockdown of GSDME has been shown to improve cognitive impairments, indicating that GSDME could be a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.