The interplay of hypoxic and mental stress: Implications for anxiety and depressive disorders. (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burtscher, Johannes; Niedermeier, Martin; Hüfner, Katharina; van den Burg, Erwin; Kopp, Martin; Stoop, Ron; Burtscher, Martin; Gatterer, Hannes; Millet, Grégoire P.
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. Volume 138(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: Anxiety -- Depression -- Hypoxia inducible factor -- Adaptation -- Mitochondria; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Behavior -- Periodicals; Ethology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiologie -- Périodiques; Comportement humain -- Périodiques; Animaux -- Mœurs et comportement -- Périodiques; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Animal behavior; Human behavior; Neurology; Psychophysiology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 573.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104718
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0149-7634

Abstract

Abstract: Adequate oxygen supply is essential for the human brain to meet its high energy demands. Therefore, elaborate molecular and systemic mechanism are in place to enable adaptation to low oxygen availability. Anxiety and depressive disorders are characterized by alterations in brain oxygen metabolism and of its components, such as mitochondria or hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-pathways. Conversely, sensitivity and tolerance to hypoxia may depend on parameters of mental stress and the severity of anxiety and depressive disorders. Here we discuss relevant mechanisms of adaptations to hypoxia, as well as their involvement in mental stress and the etiopathogenesis of anxiety and depressive disorders. We suggest that mechanisms of adaptations to hypoxia (including metabolic responses, inflammation, and the activation of chemosensitive brain regions) modulate and are modulated by stress-related pathways and associated psychiatric diseases. While severe chronic hypoxia or dysfunctional hypoxia adaptations can contribute to the pathogenesis of anxiety and depressive disorders, harnessing controlled responses to hypoxia to increase cellular and psychological resilience emerges as a novel treatment strategy for these diseases. Graphical Abstract: ga1 Highlights: Hypoxic and mental stress elicit overlapping physiological responses. Numerous molecular pathways are activated as a result of hypoxia and of mental stress or anxiety and depressive disorders. Specific brain circuits are involved in hypoxia sensing/adaptations and in the etiopathogenesis of stress-related diseases. Methods targeting hypoxia adaptations are promising strategies for chronic stress and anxiety/depressive disorders.