The stress system and neuroplasticity

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event The stress system and neuroplasticity Marian Joëls1* 1 University Medical Center Utrecht, Rudolf Magnus Institute, Netherlands Chronic stress (among other things) is associated with repeated exposure of the brain to high levels of corticosteroids, i.e. corticosterone in rodents. We have extensively studied the consequences of repeated exposure to high corticosteroid levels for the structure and function of the rodent brain. Chronic stress greatly affects neurogenesis, cell shape, synaptic strengthening and calcium influx of hippocampal cells. We also observed that the responsiveness to corticosterone alters when the organism has a history of chronic stress. For instance, corticosterone increases glutamate-mediated synaptic responses of dentate cells from chronically stressed but not from control animals. Hypothalamic circuitry is also affected by chronic stress exposure, i.e. we observed a reduced GABAergic projection to parvocellular neurons. Many of the effects due to chronic stress are readily reversible by temporary treatment with a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. This suggests that effects of chronic stress critically depend on extensive activation of glucocorticoid receptors in the nucleus. Recently it has become evident, however, that corticosteroids also exert nongenomic effects, via mineralo- as well as glucocorticoid receptors, in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Future experiments will need to examine if these rapid nongenomic effects of the stress hormone corticosterone are also changed by chronic stress. Conference: 2nd Selfish Brain Conference New research on the neurobiology of ingestive behaviour, 23554 Luebeck, Germany, 27 May - 28 May, 2010. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Talks Citation: Joëls M (2010). The stress system and neuroplasticity. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 2nd Selfish Brain Conference New research on the neurobiology of ingestive behaviour. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.08.00011 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 12 Apr 2010; Published Online: 12 Apr 2010. * Correspondence: Marian Joëls, University Medical Center Utrecht, Rudolf Magnus Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands, M.Joels@uva.nl Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Marian Joëls Google Marian Joëls Google Scholar Marian Joëls PubMed Marian Joëls Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.