The ventral/anterior hippocampus as a central hub for stress-related dopaminergic circuit dysfunction in psychiatric...

The hippocampus has long been recognized for its central role in memory and navigation. However more recent studies have shown that this structure is also involved in the pathophysiology of major psychiatric disorders. Specifically, the ventral/anterior portion of the hippocampus is a mediator of stress-induced circuit dysfunction in neuropathology. The hippocampus is comprised of a number of neurotransmissions, especially inhibitory, not unlike the neocortex, but is also vulnerable to disruption particularly in the juvenile stage. The disruption occurs via alterations in activity but also in rhythmicity, which is essential for gating information flow in its target structures. In this review, we show how stress-related disorders involve hippocampal dysfunction, and how this can impact the dopamine system as well as other circuits that lead to pathologies such as schizophrenia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. As such, the hippocampus may be an effective target for treatment and prevention of multiple pathological conditions.