What is hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction?
What is hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction?
HPA axis dysfunction is a term you may have heard in Functional Medicine circles. It refers to how chronic stress breaks down the very system in the body needed for a healthy stress response.
What happens when the HPA axis is dysregulated?
Stress activates a complex network of hormones known as the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis regulates multiple metabolic, immune, and behavioral end-points. Dysregulation of the HPA axis is a hallmark of several psychiatric conditions, including depression and substance-abuse disorders.
What does the hypothalamic pituitary axis do?
Specifically, the hypothalamic-pituitary axis directly affects the functions of the thyroid gland, the adrenal gland, and the gonads, as well as influencing growth, milk production, and water balance (table 1) [1-4]. The hypothalamic-pituitary axis will be reviewed here.
What is HPA axis syndrome?
HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS (HPA) Long term stress resulting in chronic over activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can lead to mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and irritability.
What is the primary function of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal HPA axis?
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis The HPA axis is one of the main biological systems related to stress response, cortisol being its primary hormone. Cortisol is released from the adrenal glands in response to stressful conditions and maintains homeostasis of several physiological functions [4, 5].
How does the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis work?
The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis describes a complex feedback system of neurohormones that are sent between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. This negative and positive feedback system regulates the physiological mechanisms of stress reactions, immunity, and fertility.
How is the HPA axis related to the pituitary gland?
It also tells the pituitary gland to produce less ACTH – this is negative feedback via an inhibitory pathway. Limbic HPA axis regulation via the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala seems to occur by way of direct neuron connections and endocrine pathways.
How does the HPA axis affect cortisol production?
Positive and negative feedback occurs at various sites in the brain to ensure that cortisol production stays within certain bounds, depending on current requirements and stress levels. The ultimate result of the HPA axis activation is to increase levels of cortisol in the blood during times of stress.
How does the limbic system affect the HPA axis?
The limbic system regulates our emotions and memory and may play a role in HPA axis depression and other axis-related mood disorders. The HPA axis hormone that causes the most physiological effects is cortisol.
The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis describes a complex feedback system of neurohormones that are sent between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. This negative and positive feedback system regulates the physiological mechanisms of stress reactions, immunity, and fertility.
Is it adrenal fatigue or HPA axis dysfunction?
Because the term adrenal fatigue has been used to describe HPA axis dysfunction so often, I don’t want to completely discredit it. There are still good resources out there using the incorrect term – and in some cases these aren’t quite hitting the nail on the head. So, I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that it’s being used incorrectly.
It also tells the pituitary gland to produce less ACTH – this is negative feedback via an inhibitory pathway. Limbic HPA axis regulation via the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala seems to occur by way of direct neuron connections and endocrine pathways.
What happens when the HPA axis is dysfunctional?
When any one point in the HPA axis isn’t running smoothly, it can affect the next series of reactions, which can affect the following, and on and on. In the case of HPA axis dysfunction, it’s like a domino effect that takes off after the body becomes desensitized to stress hormones.