Neurotransmitter, neurohormonal, and neuropeptidal function in stress and PTSD

Bremner, J. Douglas; Pearce, Brad

doi:10.1002/9781118356142.ch9

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 402 publications

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“…Norepinephrine also plays an important role in feeding behavior [ 207 ]. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is involved in a number of functions including the control of locomotion, cognition, affect, neuroendocrine secretion, reward systems including feeding behavior, and the stress response [ 208 , 209 , 210 ]. Dopaminergic innervation of the nucleus accumbens, the mesolimbic pathway, regulates feelings of pleasure, and deficits in this system could underlie feelings of a lack of pleasure or anhedonia in patients with stress-related psychiatric disorders [ 210 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet, Stress and Mental Health

et al. 2020

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Introduction: There has long been an interest in the effects of diet on mental health, and the interaction of the two with stress; however, the nature of these relationships is not well understood. Although associations between diet, obesity and the related metabolic syndrome (MetS), stress, and mental disorders exist, causal pathways have not been established. Methods: We reviewed the literature on the relationship between diet, stress, obesity and psychiatric disorders related to stress. Results: Diet and obesity can affect mood through direct effects, or stress-related mental disorders could lead to changes in diet habits that affect weight. Alternatively, common factors such as stress or predisposition could lead to both obesity and stress-related mental disorders, such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Specific aspects of diet can lead to acute changes in mood as well as stimulate inflammation, which has led to efforts to assess polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) as a treatment for depression. Bidirectional relationships between these different factors are also likely. Finally, there has been increased attention recently on the relationship between the gut and the brain, with the realization that the gut microbiome has an influence on brain function and probably also mood and behavior, introducing another way diet can influence mental health and disorders. Brain areas and neurotransmitters and neuropeptides that are involved in both mood and appetite likely play a role in mediating this relationship. Conclusions: Understanding the relationship between diet, stress and mood and behavior could have important implications for the treatment of both stress-related mental disorders and obesity.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet, Stress and Mental Health

et al. 2020

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“…Traumatic stress is associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and can be associated with lasting alterations in autonomic function and in extreme cases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [1]. Re-exposure to traumatic memories can be associated with a re-activation of the SNS, which can lead to symptoms of PTSD [2e6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying acute physiological biomarkers of transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation in the context of psychological stress

et al. 2020

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Background: Stress is associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system, and can lead to lasting alterations in autonomic function and in extreme cases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is a potentially useful tool as a modulator of autonomic nervous system function, however currently available implantable devices are limited by cost and inconvenience. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) on autonomic responses to stress. Methods: Using a double-blind approach, we investigated the effects of active or sham tcVNS on peripheral cardiovascular and autonomic responses to stress using wearable sensing devices in 24 healthy human participants with a history of exposure to psychological trauma. Participants were exposed to acute stressors over a three-day period, including personalized scripts of traumatic events, public speech, and mental arithmetic tasks. Results: tcVNS relative to sham applied immediately after traumatic stress resulted in a decrease in sympathetic function and modulated parasympathetic/sympathetic autonomic tone as measured by increased pre-ejection period (PEP) of the heart (a marker of cardiac sympathetic function) of 4.2 ms (95% CI 1.6e6.8 ms, p < 0.01), decreased peripheral sympathetic function as measured by increased photoplethysmogram (PPG) amplitude (decreased vasoconstriction) by 47.9% (1.4e94.5%, p < 0.05), a 9% decrease in respiratory rate (À14.3 to À3.7%, p < 0.01). Similar effects were seen when tcVNS was applied after other stressors and in the absence of a stressor. Conclusion: Wearable sensing modalities are feasible to use in experiments in human participants, and tcVNS modulates cardiovascular and peripheral autonomic responses to stress.

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“…The vagus nerve modulates circuits and systems that underlie the symptoms of stress-related psychiatric disorders. The neurobiology of stress-related psychiatric disorders includes alterations in brain regions involved in memory and the stress response [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis plays an important role in stress, and dysregulation of this system is associated with PTSD and depression [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ] and is potentially modifiable by the vagus nerve [ 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”

Section: Neurobiology Of Stress-related Psychiatric Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Altered neuropeptidal function is another target for treatment intervention for stress-related psychiatric disorders [ 33 ]. Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide that regulates and integrates adaptive responses to stress [ 90 ].…”

Section: Neurobiology Of Stress-related Psychiatric Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Noninvasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation to Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders

Bremner

Gurel

Wittbrodt

et al. 2020

JPM

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Background: Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) has been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of depression, but to date, VNS devices have required surgical implantation, which has limited widespread implementation. Methods: New noninvasive VNS (nVNS) devices have been developed which allow external stimulation of the vagus nerve, and their effects on physiology in patients with stress-related psychiatric disorders can be measured with brain imaging, blood biomarkers, and wearable sensing devices. Advantages in terms of cost and convenience may lead to more widespread implementation in psychiatry, as well as facilitate research of the physiology of the vagus nerve in humans. nVNS has effects on autonomic tone, cardiovascular function, inflammatory responses, and central brain areas involved in modulation of emotion, all of which make it particularly applicable to patients with stress-related psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, since dysregulation of these circuits and systems underlies the symptomatology of these disorders. Results: This paper reviewed the physiology of the vagus nerve and its relevance to modulating the stress response in the context of application of nVNS to stress-related psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: nVNS has a favorable effect on stress physiology that is measurable using brain imaging, blood biomarkers of inflammation, and wearable sensing devices, and shows promise in the prevention and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders.

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Neurotransmitter, neurohormonal, and neuropeptidal function in stress and PTSD

Cited by 12 publications

References 402 publications

Diet, Stress and Mental Health

Diet, Stress and Mental Health

Quantifying acute physiological biomarkers of transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation in the context of psychological stress

Application of Noninvasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation to Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders

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