New research shows that the female and male responses to stress are biologically different. What does that mean for treating PTSD, depression, and other disorders?
During times of stress the brain prompts a host of physiological changes to help us survive in the face of a potentially life-threatening situation. But when this response is activated inappropriately or persistently, it can become dangerous. Indeed, research has linked uncontrolled stress to a wide range of health problems, from heart disease and diabetes to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For heart disease treatment guidance visit https://www.carolinacardiologyassociates.com/general-cardiology/ .
Women are roughly twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related psychiatric disorders, according to epidemiological analyses. Cultural factors were always considered to be at play, with the idea that women may be more willing than men to seek help for mental illness. But new evidence from animal research suggests that biology may also play an important role.
Neuroscientist, Dr. Georgia E. Hodes, discovered that, after being exposed to repeated stressors, it takes male mice 21 days to develop anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, but only six days to produce the same reaction in female mice. In search of an explanation, Dr. Hodes looked to the nucleus accumbens, a brain region involved in seeking out rewarding and pleasurable activities. Disruption of this area is believed to contribute to anhedonia—an inability to experience pleasure—which is a common symptom in depression and various other stress-related disorders.
Within the nucleus accumbens, Dr. Hodes identified gender differences in the regulation of a gene called Dnmt3a (DNA methyltransferase 3a). After aggregated stressors, this gene was expressed more in female mice than in male. Dr. Hodes removed the Dnmt3a gene from female mice and without it they became more resilient to stress.
In addition, neuroscientist Rita Valentino discovered sex differences in receptors to CRF, a hormone that helps kick-start the body’s biochemical response to stress. In female rodents, the receptors lingered on the cell membrane, where they could remain responsive to CRF levels. These results suggest that CRF may increase arousal and alertness more in females than in males. In some situations this could be adaptive, although overactivation of this system can also lead to hyperarousal.
The traditional approach to psychological/neurological research was to only study male animals. In fact, our past reliance on male animals in drug development studies may explain, at least in part, why women report more adverse drug reactions than men do. Ultimately, researchers believe that stress response sex differences are not minor, and as we research for better remedies for stress-related psychiatric conditions, it is vital that we take them into account.