Figure 2.

Schematic representation of some of the brain areas, and some of their connections, controlling one of the main aspects of the stress response: the activation of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. On the left panel, the normal pattern of connectivity that controls the response in an acute stress condition is illustrated. On the right side, a scheme of the altered pattern of connectivity in a chronic stress situation, where some of the major corticolimbic areas that modulate the stress response suffered a significant morphophysiological change that leads to a permanent shift in their pattern of connectivity (the stressed neuromatrix) that determines an altered behavior per se but also an inadequate control of the stress response. Please note that only some of the areas (critical nodes) that are instrumental for this shift (prefrontal cortex (PFC), central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA), amygdala (AMY: medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA), ventral hippocampus (vHIP)) and their changes, are represented, given that many are still to be revealed. ARC, arcuate nucleus; BST, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; DMH, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus: ventrolateral (vl) and dorsomedial (dm); E, epinephrine; NE, norepinephrine, NTS, nucleus of the solitary tract; peri-PVN, peri-paraventricular nucleus zone. Please see refs. 5, 16, 18 for further details.