Title: Schizophrenia and Stress
Headings: Schizophrenia and Stress
STRESS
Schizophrenia and Stress
Schizophrenia Is a Group of Disorders
The "Two-hit" Theory of the Origin of Schizophrenia
A Diverse Illness
The Effects of Stress on the Body and on the Brain
Stress, Cortisol, Memory and the Hippocampus
New Possibilities for the Treatment of Schizophrenia
Conclusion

Content: Stress, Cortisol, Memory and the Hippocampus
A number of studies in the last several years have confirmed a strong connection between stress, high cortisol levels, damage to the hippocampus and memory. This connection shows up across a wide range of human medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Cushing's disease, overexposure to steroid drugs, aging and depression. For example, combat veterans with PTSD suffer a loss of hippocampal volume. In fact, there is a direct link between how these veterans perform on standard memory tests and the size of their hippocampus. Adult survivors of childhood abuse also have both smaller hippocampi and impaired memory. Problems regulating cortisol production ("cortisol dysregulation") and small hippocampal size are also common in depression. Chronic stress by itself seems to cause wear and tear on the brain. Cortisol levels increase with age and studies have shown shrinkage of the hippocampus and memory impairment even in healthy older people. Cushing's disease is an illness that causes the body to make too much cortisol. Patients with Cushing's have memory problems that can actually be reversed when the disease is successfully treated.