Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

A salience hypothesis of stress in PTSD.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

December 1, 2021

Journal

The European journal of neuroscience

Volume/Issue

54/11

ISSN

1460-9568

Attention to key features of contexts and things is a necessary tool for all organisms. Detecting these salient features of cues, or simply, salience, can also be affected by exposure to traumatic stress, as has been widely reported in individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Interestingly, similar observations have been robustly replicated across many animal models of stress as well. By using evidence from such rodent stress paradigms, in the present review, we explore PTSD through the lens of salience processing. In this context, we propose that interaction between the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoids determines the long lasting cellular and behavioural consequences of stress salience. We also describe the dual effect of glucocorticoid therapy in the amelioration of PTSD symptoms. Finally, by integrating in vivo observations at multiple scales of plasticity, we propose a unifying hypothesis that pivots on a crucial role of glucocorticoid signalling in dynamically orchestrating stress salience.

Alternate Journal

Eur J Neurosci

PubMed ID

34766390

Authors

Prabahan Chakraborty
Sumantra Chattarji
Freddy Jeanneteau

Keywords

Animals
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Glucocorticoids
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic