The developing limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis is highly vulnerable to programming by early-life environmental factors, including exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids and nutrient deficiencies. Early-life repetitive hypoglycemia (RHG) is a common complication of insulin therapy for type-1 diabetes that may have long-term consequences in adulthood. Recent observations in a rat...

the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (hpa) axis is a critical adaptive system that maximizes survival potential in the face of physical or psychological challenge. the principal end products of the hpa axis, glucocorticoid hormones, act on multiple organ systems, including the brain, to maintain homeostatic balance. the brain is a target of stress, and the hippocampus is the first brain reg...

BACKGROUND Serotonin neurotransmission and limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis hormones are thought to be involved in the reinforcement of alcohol intake and contribute to the risk for alcoholism. In humans and macaques, a promoter polymorphism that decreases transcription of the serotonin transporter gene is associated with anxiety and altered LHPA-axis responses to stress, and i...

Stress sensitivity may be one process that can explain why some genetically at-risk individuals are more susceptible to some types of stress-reactive psychopathologies. Dysregulation of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis, including cortisol reactivity to challenge, represents a key aspect of stress sensitivity. However, the degree of stability over time among youth, especiall...

The question of whether early life exposure to general anesthesia induces neurodevelopmental abnormalities in humans, similar to what has been demonstrated in animals from rodents to rhesus monkeys, is complex and of significant clinical concern, given that more than 1 in 4 children undergo procedures requiring anesthesia in their first year of life [1]. Important roadblocks to understanding th...

Repeated stress enhances vulnerability to neural dysfunction that is cumulative over the course of the lifespan. This dysfunction contributes to cognitive deficits observed during aging. In addition, aging is associated with dysregulation of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis, leading to a delayed termination of the stress response. This delay, in turn, increases exposure to ...

Potent glucocorticoids (GC) administered early in life have improved premature infant survival dramatically. However, these agents may increase the risk for physical, neurological and behavior alterations. Anxiety, depression and attention difficulties are commonly described in adolescent and young adult survivors of prematurity. In the present study we administered vehicle, dexamethasone, or h...

Knowledge of maternal stress and its direct influence on the developing embryo and fetus (prenate) can influence psychotherapeutic treatment decisions, especially when treating patients who are severely traumatized and dissociative. Not only may maternal stress alter prenate neurobiological attachment and stress systems in the limbic-hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (LHPA) and limbic-autonom...

the prevalence of mental health disorders continues to rise worldwide, such that it is estimated that 1in 4 individuals will be affected by a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime. research has found that the most prevalent mental health disorders are depressive disorder. depression is a common condition, particularly within the aging population. the development of depression, ...

conclusions whenever a cushingoid appearance is accompanied by adrenal insufficiency, the exogenous use of steroids, especially topical creams, should be explored. hypertension may persist even after cessation of use and may result in life threatening complications. case presentation the present report describes the cases of three children and a 25-year-old man who presented with clinical featu...