The frontal cortex is equally vulnerable to shrinkage from cortisol as the hippocampus 🧠
Not only do elevated levels of cortisol shrink the hippocampus, it has also been associated in some studies with decreased volume in the frontal cortex. This was initially confusing to researchers, but has since been resolved. In the rat, the hippocampus is overwhelmingly the target in the brain for glucocorticoid action, as measured by the density of receptors for the hormones; however, in the primate brain, the hippocampus and frontal cortex seem to be equally and markedly sensitive to glucocorticoids.
References
- Sapolsky, Robert. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers Chapter 14. Stress and Depression (p. 418). New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience Status:☀️