Project Summary

Jason J. Radley, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, plans to study the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in depression and [stet] disorder (PTSD), focusing on how stress acts on the brain region. The mPFC functions as a "switchboard operator" by receiving constant cognitive and emotional information from distant brain regions, making sense of them in relation to past experience, and directing the information to other regions to execute responses. The mPFC regulates stress responses through interaction with the hypothalamus, which controls levels of stress hormones (a.k.a., glucocorticoids), and activates the fight-or-flight response that helps in adaptation to mentally and physically challenging or threatening situations. Neuroimaging studies reveal functional impairment and shrinkage of mPFC in depression and PTSD, and animal studies show that chronic stress causes nerve-cell atrophy and synapse loss. But how mPFC regulates glucocorticoids to help an individual adapt to stress is not well understood. Dr. Radley seeks to clarify the mechanisms underlying mPFC influences on stress-induced activation of glucocorticoids. Secondly, he will examine the mPFC's role in adaptation to chronic psychological stress.

Program Area: ANXIETY DISORDERS\Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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