The dorsomedial hypothalamus and the central pathways involved in the cardiovascular response to emotional stress

Psychological stress elicits increases in sympathetic activity accompanied by a marked cardiovascular response. Revealing the relevant central mechanisms involved in this phenomenon could contribute significantly to our understanding of the pathogenesis of stress-related cardiovascular diseases, and the key to this understanding is the identification of the nuclei, pathways and neurotransmitters involved in the organization of the cardiovascular response to stress. The present review will focus specifically on the dorsomedial hypothalamus, a brain region now known to play a primary role in the synaptic integration underlying the cardiovascular response to emotional stress.

▶Psychological stress elicits a marked cardiovascular response. ▶The DMH is critical to the cardiovascular response to stress. ▶Chemical activation of DMH evokes a cardiovascular response similar to stress. ▶This approach helps to reveal the cardiovascular pathways activated during stress.