Chronic Stress-induced Hippocampal Vulnerability: The Glucocorticoid Vulnerability Hypothesis

Pituitary glucocorticoid receptor deletion reduces vulnerability to chronic stress.

The incidence of chronic stress is frequently related to the development of psychiatric disorders like depression. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a major physiological system that mediates the stress response. Tight HPA axis regulation through negative feedback mechanisms is essential for health and environmental adaptation. This feedback regulation acts in part through the gl...

Vulnerability-Stress Models

Chronic stress, drug use, and vulnerability to addiction.

Stress is a well-known risk factor in the development of addiction and in addiction relapse vulnerability. A series of population-based and epidemiological studies have identified specific stressors and individual-level variables that are predictive of substance use and abuse. Preclinical research also shows that stress exposure enhances drug self-administration and reinstates drug seeking in d...

Metabolic Consequences and Vulnerability to Diet-Induced Obesity in Male Mice under Chronic Social Stress

Social and psychological factors interact with genetic predisposition and dietary habit in determining obesity. However, relatively few pre-clinical studies address the role of psychosocial factors in metabolic disorders. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated in male mice: 1) opposite status-dependent effect on body weight gain under chronic psychosocial stress; 2) a reduction in bo...

Katrina and vulnerability: the geography of stress.

The immediate aftermath of Katrina focused the world's attention on the vulnerability of the urban poor and racial/ethnic minority groups in New Orleans. This vulnerability can be viewed in terms of site, the proximity of a neighborhood to a hazard, and situation, the social context of that neighborhood. Vulnerabilities, associated with demographic characteristics such as being poor, being a me...