Earlier in the semester, we analyzed emotions both quantitatively and qualitatively. However, I hope we did a group project with the hope of understanding some of the emotions we talked about. Therefore, I decided to do research about stress and how one develops chronic stress. Below is the script and I hope that in the future it can help students who want to learn more about stress and the way to cope with it.
What is the role of the HPA axis in the stress response?
In any kind of situation, the amygdala is the first brain part to analyze and interpret it. If the situation is interpreted as dangerous; the amygdala activates both ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) and the HPA axis (Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, and Adrenal glands) to produce a stress response. The HPA axis relies heavily on the hormonal cascading effect to alert the body and prepare it for the fight or flight situation.
After the hypothalamus receives information from the amygdala, it releases the Cortical Releasing Hormone (CRH) which triggers the release of Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the Anterior Pituitary gland. ACTH leads to the release of cortisol from the Adrenal glands. Cortisol in low amounts leads to increased heart rate, elevated ventilation, pupil dilation, and other fight or flight responses through the sympathetic nervous system. Additionally, low amounts of cortisol allow the hippocampus to shut down the amygdala’s impact and allow the parasympathetic nervous system to relax the body after a stressful situation has passed.
High cortisol in the blood leads to hippocampal cell death and in this case the hippocampus is unable to surpass the amygdala’s response to stress. The HPA axis will then be kept on and the Sympathetic Nervous system will keep the body on alert. This situation leads to chronic stress, a condition in which a person has prolonged and constant stress that can harm both their mental and physical health.
Reference
Understanding the stress response. Harvard Health. (2020, July 6). Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response.
