Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: In the face of external adversities, the human body utilizes a vast array of physiological systems to combat the perceived threat in order to keep the internal conditions in balance.This intricate and well-coordinated process is known as allostasis.Among the various hormones that are secreted by the allostatic networks, four play a prominent role in the stress response: glucocorticoids, dehydroepiandrosterone, cytokines, and catecholamines.To counteract the effects of the stress stimulus, the hormones work to keep systems in balance, shifting internal conditions as needed.However, as the body continuously deals with stress through the activation of the allostatic process, the physiological processes associated with the response slowly degrades, and the body enters a state known as allostatic overload.In addition to negatively affecting the body's capacity to deal with stress, allostatic overload entails an even greater risk: neurological degeneration.Increased stress levels associated with increased hormonal secretion have been observed to be closely linked to certain degenerative changes in the brain.Stress, a determinant of allostatic load in particular, is derived from external forces or experiences.Such experiences differ greatly across social classes and therefore, confer differential effects.Furthermore, inferences can be made on differential manifestations of allostatic load across differing social standings.In doing so, the effects of allostasis can be quantified and implications on a larger scale can be made.
Author: Barry Nguyen
Language: English
Subfield: Behavioral Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3179320191