Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Dev Neurobiol. 2012 Jun;72(6):878-90. doi: 10.1002/dneu.20968.
The adult brain is capable of considerable structural and functional plasticity and the study of hormone actions in brain has contributed to our understanding of this important phenomenon. In particular, stress and stress-related hormones such as glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids play a key role in the ability of acute and chronic stress to cause reversible remodeling of neuronal connections in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. To produce this plasticity, these hormones act by both genomic and non-genomic mechanisms together with ongoing, experience-driven neural activity mediated by excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor, extracellular molecules such as neural cell adhesion molecule, neuropeptides such as corticotrophin releasing factor, and endocannabinoids. The result is a dynamic brain architecture that can be modified by experience. Under this view, the role of pharmaceutical agents, such as antidepressants, is to facilitate such plasticity that must also be guided by experiences.
成人的大脑具有相当大的结构和功能可塑性，对激素在大脑中的作用的研究有助于我们理解这一重要现象。特别是，应激和应激相关激素，如糖皮质激素和盐皮质激素，在急性和慢性应激导致海马体、前额叶皮层和杏仁核中神经元连接的可逆重塑中起着关键作用。为了产生这种可塑性，这些激素通过基因组和非基因组机制与兴奋性氨基酸神经递质、神经营养因子（如脑源性神经营养因子）、细胞外分子（如神经细胞黏附分子）、神经肽（如促肾上腺皮质释放因子）和内源性大麻素介导的持续的、经验驱动的神经活动共同作用。其结果是一个可以通过经验来改变的动态大脑结构。在这种观点下，药物（如抗抑郁药）的作用是促进这种可塑性，而这种可塑性也必须受到经验的指导。
