Review
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10, 410-422 (June 2009) | doi:10.1038/nrn2648
Focus on: Stress
Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function
Amy F. T. Arnsten1 About the author
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) — the most evolved brain region — subserves our highest-order cognitive abilities. However, it is also the brain region that is most sensitive to the detrimental effects of stress exposure. Even quite mild acute uncontrollable stress can cause a rapid and dramatic loss of prefrontal cognitive abilities, and more prolonged stress exposure causes architectural changes in prefrontal dendrites. Recent research has begun to reveal the intracellular signalling pathways that mediate the effects of stress on the PFC. This research has provided clues as to why genetic or environmental insults that disinhibit stress signalling pathways can lead to symptoms of profound prefrontal cortical dysfunction in mental illness.
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Author affiliations
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Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA.
Email: amy.arnsten@yale.edu
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