Week 5: T2(3) Neuroendocrine input (focus on cortisol)

Question 1

What are cortisol functions?

Answer 1

1. Physiological response for energy release .
2. Stress responses.
3. Acute helpful response.
   a. Increases blood pressure and heartrate
   b. Diverts resources away from inflammatory areas
   c. Increases neural plasticity (E.g. thinking and memory)
   d. Increasing NT Receptor Numbers.
   e. Increase number of receptors of neurotransmitters.
   These effects can be acutely beneficial, but chronic stress can cause a toxic build up

Question 2

Where is the origin of cortisol?

Answer 2

Hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) in response to stress, “thinking” and “feeling”

Question 3

What area of the brain does cortisol affect the most?

Answer 3

Prefrontal and hippocampi, i.e., cognition and remembering. It allows to think quickly and remember it.

Question 4

What are the damaging effects of cortisol?

Answer 4

Chronic stress leads to long-term elevations of cortisol. The brain is not primed for this.
An increase in release of neurotransmitter is good short term, but longer term, this is problematic.
Glial cells have hard time mop up and recycle neurotransmitters such as glutamate which is toxic in large amounts.
Elevated receptor levels becomes damaging.
Neuron will change structure over time
Dendrites will shrink
a change in hippocampal neurogenesis, creation of new cell in the hippocampi is affected.

Question 5

What are the effects of increasing neurotransmitters secretion?

Answer 5

1. Glial cells “mop up” and recycle NTs shortly after secretion 

2. Some NTs, including glutamate, are toxic 

3. Chronic cortisol causes excess build 
up, which glial cells can’t control 


Question 6

What are the effects of increasing NT receptor numbers?

Answer 6

Altering cell gene expression causes changes to cell structure, resulting in:

1. Dendrite shrinkage 

2. Inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis

Question 7

Where is cortisol secreted from

Answer 7

Secreted by the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA)