Abstract
The prevalence and severity of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are exacerbated by chronic stress exposure. While stress-induced sympathetic activity and elevated glucocorticoid secretion impair cardiovascular health, the mechanisms by which stress-responsive brain regions integrate autonomic and endocrine stress responses remain unclear. This review covers emerging literature on how specific cortical and hypothalamic nuclei regulate cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress responses. We will also discuss the current understanding of the cellular and circuit mechanisms mediating physiological stress responses. Altogether, the reviewed literature highlights the current state of stress integration research, as well unanswered questions about the brain basis of CVD risk.
Highlights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide
The current review focuses on the rodent prefrontal cortex, including a specific population of cells in the infralimbic cortex (IL) that is necessary for cardiovascular and endocrine responses to chronic stress
While insular FosB/ΔFosB-positive cells are glutamatergic, IL pre-synaptic terminals target both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in the anterior insula (AI) and posterior insula (PI). These findings suggest that IL-insula communication during chronic stress modulates long-term excitatory/inhibitory balance of the insular cortices, which may have significant implications for visceral regulation
Summary
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Tasker, Tulane University, United States Fernando Morgan de Aguiar Corrêa, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Specialty section: This article was submitted to Autonomic Neuroscience, a section of the journal Frontiers in Physiology. The prevalence and severity of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are exacerbated by chronic stress exposure. While stress-induced sympathetic activity and elevated glucocorticoid secretion impair cardiovascular health, the mechanisms by which stress-responsive brain regions integrate autonomic and endocrine stress responses remain unclear. This review covers emerging literature on how specific cortical and hypothalamic nuclei regulate cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress responses. We will discuss the current understanding of the cellular and circuit mechanisms mediating physiological stress responses. The reviewed literature highlights the current state of stress integration research, as well unanswered questions about the brain basis of CVD risk
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
