Psychophysiological Laboratory of the University of Trier, 54286 Trier, Germany.
J Neurosci. 2012 Jan 11;32(2):616-25. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2384-11.2012.
The stress hormone cortisol acts on the brain, supporting adaptation and time-adjusted coping processes. Whereas previous research has focused on slow emerging, genomic effects of cortisol, we addressed the rapid, nongenomic cortisol effects on in vivo neuronal activity in humans. Three independent placebo-controlled studies in healthy men were conducted. We observed changes in CNS activity within 15 min after intravenous administration of a physiological dose of 4 mg of cortisol (hydrocortisone). Two of the studies demonstrated a rapid bilateral thalamic perfusion decrement using continuous arterial spin labeling. The third study revealed rapid, cortisol-induced changes in global signal strength and map dissimilarity of the electroencephalogram. Our data demonstrate that a physiological concentration of cortisol profoundly affects the functioning and perfusion of the human brain in vivo via a rapid, nongenomic mechanism. The changes in neuronal functioning suggest that cortisol acts on the thalamic relay of background as well as on task-specific sensory information, allowing focus and facilitation of adaptation to challenges.
应激激素皮质醇作用于大脑，支持适应和时间调整的应对过程。虽然之前的研究集中在皮质醇缓慢出现的、基因组效应上，但我们研究了皮质醇对人类体内神经元活动的快速、非基因组效应。在健康男性中进行了三项独立的安慰剂对照研究。我们观察到在静脉内给予生理剂量 4 毫克皮质醇（氢化可的松）后 15 分钟内中枢神经系统活动的变化。其中两项研究使用连续动脉自旋标记显示出快速的双侧丘脑灌注减少。第三项研究揭示了皮质醇诱导的脑电图全局信号强度和图谱相似度的快速变化。我们的数据表明，生理浓度的皮质醇通过快速的非基因组机制深刻影响人类大脑的功能和灌注。神经元功能的变化表明，皮质醇作用于背景以及特定任务感觉信息的丘脑中继，从而能够专注于并促进对挑战的适应。
