Neural circuits mediating stress

Stress has been linked to the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of mood and anxiety disorders. Over the past few years, our understanding of the brain and neuroendocrine circuits that are linked to the stress response have inc reased dramatically. This article reviews a series of animal and human stud ies aimed at understanding what are the pathways by which stress is perceiv ed, processed, and transduced into a neuroendocrine response. We focus on t he classic stress circuit: the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis. These studies indicate that the LHPA stress circuit is a complex sys tem with multiple control mechanisms and that these mechanisms are altered in pathological states, such as chronic stress and depression. These studie s also suggest that the interactions between the LHPA and other neurotransm itters, such as serotonin, may provide the neurobiological substrate by whi ch stress may affect mood. (C) 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry.