McCormick Cheryl M, Mathews Iva Z
Behavioural Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St Catharines ON, Canada.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2007 Feb;86(2):220-33. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2006.07.012. Epub 2006 Aug 8.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the physiological systems involved in coping with stressors. There are functional shifts in the HPA axis and its regulation by sex hormones over the lifespan that allow the animal to meet the challenges of the internal and external environment that are specific to each stage of development. Sex differences in HPA function emerge over adolescence, a phenomenon reflecting the concomitant initiation of regulatory effects of sex hormones. The focus of this review is recent research on differences between adolescents and adults in HPA function and the enduring effects of exposure to stressors in adolescence. During adolescence, HPA function is characterized by a prolonged activation in response to stressors compared to adulthood, which may render ongoing development of the brain vulnerable. Although research has been scarce, there is a growing evidence that exposure to stressors in adolescence may alter behavioural responses to drugs and cognitive performance in adulthood. However, the effects reported appear to be stressor-specific and sex-specific. Such research may contribute toward understanding the increased risk for drug abuse and psychopathology that occurs over adolescence in people.
下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴是参与应对压力源的生理系统之一。在整个生命周期中，HPA轴及其受性激素调节存在功能变化，使动物能够应对每个发育阶段特有的内部和外部环境挑战。HPA功能的性别差异在青春期出现，这一现象反映了性激素调节作用的同时启动。本综述的重点是近期关于青少年和成年人HPA功能差异以及青少年期暴露于压力源的持久影响的研究。在青春期，与成年期相比，HPA功能的特点是对应激源的激活持续时间延长，这可能使大脑的持续发育变得脆弱。尽管研究较少，但越来越多的证据表明，青少年期暴露于压力源可能会改变成年期对药物的行为反应和认知表现。然而，所报告的影响似乎因压力源和性别而异。此类研究可能有助于理解青少年期人群药物滥用和精神病理学风险增加的原因。
