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The effects of chronic glucocorticoid exposure on dendritic length, synapse numbers and glial volume in animal models: implications for hippocampal volume reductions in depression
Tata DA, Anderson BJ.. Physiology & behavior, 2009-09-26
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are hormones secreted by the adrenal glands as an endocrine response to stress. Although the main purpose of GCs is to restore homeostasis when acutely elevated, animal studies indicate that chronic exposure to these hormones can cause damage to the hippocampus. This is indicated by reductions in hippocampal volume, and changes in neuronal morphology (i.e., decreases in dendritic length and number of dendritic branch points) and ultrastructure (e.g., smaller synapse number). Smaller hippocampal volume has been also reported in humans diagnosed with major depressive disorder or Cushing's disorder, conditions in which GCs are endogenously and chronically elevated. Although a number of studies considered neuron loss as the major factor contributing to the volume reduction, recent findings indicated that this is not the case. Instead, alterations in dendritic, synaptic and glial processes have been reported. The focus of this paper is to review the GC effects on the cell number, dendritic morphology and synapses in an effort to better understand how these changes may contribute to reductions in hippocampal volume. Taken together, the data from animal models suggest that hippocampal volumetric reductions represent volume loss in the neuropil, which, in turn, under-represent much larger losses of dendrites and synapses.
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APA 7th
Tata, D. A., & Anderson, B. J. (2010). The effects of chronic glucocorticoid exposure on dendritic length, synapse numbers and glial volume in animal models: implications for hippocampal volume reductions in depression. Physiology & behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.09.008
Vancouver
Tata DA, Anderson BJ. The effects of chronic glucocorticoid exposure on dendritic length, synapse numbers and glial volume in animal models: implications for hippocampal volume reductions in depression. Physiology & behavior. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.09.008. PMID: 19786041.
BibTeX
@article{tata2010-19786041,
author = {Tata, D. A. and Anderson, B. J.},
title = {{The effects of chronic glucocorticoid exposure on dendritic length, synapse numbers and glial volume in animal models: implications for hippocampal volume reductions in depression}},
journal = {Physiology \& behavior},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.09.008},
pmid = {19786041},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.09.008}
}
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Key findings
- Although the main purpose of GCs is to restore homeostasis when acutely elevated, animal studies indicate that chronic exposure to these hormones can cause damage to the hippocampus.
- Although a number of studies considered neuron loss as the major factor contributing to the volume reduction, recent findings indicated that this is not the case.
- Taken together, the data from animal models suggest that hippocampal volumetric reductions represent volume loss in the neuropil, which, in turn, under-represent much larger losses of dendrites and synapses.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 36/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 36 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Physiology & behavior) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19786041) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 21 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 36 out of 100. |
| Total | 36 / 100 | — |
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