title: Tune it down to live it up? Rapid, nongenomic effects of cortisol on the human brain.
abstract: The stress hormone cortisol acts on the brain, supporting adaptation and time-adjusted coping processes. Whereas previous research has focused on slow emerging, genomic effects of cortisol, we addressed the rapid, nongenomic cortisol effects on in vivo neuronal activity in humans. Three independent placebo-controlled studies in healthy men were conducted. We observed changes in CNS activity within 15 min after intravenous administration of a physiological dose of 4 mg of cortisol (hydrocortisone). Two of the studies demonstrated a rapid bilateral thalamic perfusion decrement using continuous arterial spin labeling. The third study revealed rapid, cortisol-induced changes in global signal strength and map dissimilarity of the electroencephalogram. Our data demonstrate that a physiological concentration of cortisol profoundly affects the functioning and perfusion of the human brain in vivo via a rapid, nongenomic mechanism. The changes in neuronal functioning suggest that cortisol acts on the thalamic relay of background as well as on task-specific sensory information, allowing focus and facilitation of adaptation to challenges.
authors.affiliation: Psychophysiological Laboratory of the University of Trier, 54286 Trier, Germany. florian@strelzyk.de
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Strelzyk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermes
authors.forename: Ewald
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.forename: Melly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oitzl
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schächinger
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000502:physiology; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006854:Hydrocortisone