Hypothalamus and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review

Humans have lived in a dynamic environment fraught with potential dangers for thousands of years. While fear and stress were crucial the survival our ancestors, today, they are mostly considered harmful factors, threatening both physical mental health. Trauma is highly stressful, often life-threatening event or series events, such as sexual assault, war, natural disasters, burns, car accidents. can cause pathological metaplasticity, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes impairing an individual’s ability cope future challenges. If individual vulnerable, tremendously traumatic may result post-traumatic disorder (PTSD). The hypothalamus critical initiating hormonal responses stressful stimuli via hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Linked prefrontal cortex limbic structures, especially amygdala hippocampus, acts central hub, integrating physiological aspects response. Consequently, hypothalamic functions been attributed pathophysiology PTSD. However, apart from well-known role HPA axis, also play different roles development PTSD through other pathways, including hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axes, well by secreting growth hormone, prolactin, dopamine, oxytocin. This review aims summarize current evidence regarding neuroendocrine hypothalamus, which correlated A better understanding could help develop treatments this debilitating condition.