The Role of Stress and Glucocorticoids in Pathogeny of Age-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Abstract

An overview and commentary are presented on the role of stress and glucocorticoids in the pathogeny of age-related psychiatric and neurologic disorders, first of all depressive illness and Alzheimer's disease. The connections of these disorders with senescence-induced changes in bioregulation of hypothamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity are discussed, focusing attention on biphasic glucocorticoid effects, gender differences, adverse effects of exogenous corticosteroids and the importance of stress and glucocorticoid effects on developing brain, as related to programming/imprinting and embedding phenomena. In addition, the interactions of neuropsychiatric disorders with diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases, as well as of glucocorticoids with proinflammatory cytokines are briefly considered in relation to postnatal ontogeny and aging.

Chronobiological interactions of stress and disease: contribution to hormonal regulation in the ontopathogenic model

“…At first, we should outline that important contributions of GC to etiopathogenic mechanisms of age-related cardiometabolic and neuropsychiatric disorders are already well known. [7][8][9] Here we pretend to add some essential details to these descriptions.…”

Shift workers in health care: endocrine age-related mechanisms of morbidity and mortality in the onto pathogenic model

“…On the other hand, GC contribute to pathogeny of some neuropsychiatric disorders, especially to depression and dementia. [10][11][12] Therefore, it will not be a great surprise to reveal higher tendencies of shift workers to insulin resistance and obesity, cardiovascular diseases including acute myocardial infarction and the depressive states and cognitive disturbances. 4,5,[19][20][21] In addition the disruption of circadian biorhythms in gastrointestinal tract is quite common in shift workers, because of meal intake during the night, 22 therefore such workers have the tendency to gastro-intestinal disorders including peptic ulcer and colorectal tumors.…”

“…Previously we have focused our attention on hormonal mechanisms of age-related diseases. In particular, we have discussed the role of glucocorticoids (GC) and other stress hormones in the mechanisms of cardiometabolic and neuropsychiatric disorders, [10][11][12] as referred to the ontopathogenic model based on DOHaD concept. 13,14 Therefore in the present article we shall pay attention especially on the importance of stress and its hormonal mediators in the mechanisms of morbidity and mortality associated with shift work.…”