Intracerebroventricular corticotropin-releasing factor increases limbic glucose metabolism and has social context-dependent behavioral effects in nonhuman primates.

ABSTRACT: Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a neuropeptide involved in integrating the behavioral, autonomic, and hormonal responses to stress within the central nervous system. Patients suffering from depression have abnormal activity in stress responsive brain regions and elevated cerebrospinal fluid CRF. The DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder include behavioral changes such as depressed mood, anhedonia, and psychomotor agitation/retardation. We studied the effects of 434 microgram of CRF given intracerebroventricularly over 40 min in group and individually housed monkeys to examine the role of elevated levels of central CRF on behavior. CRF elicited a wide range of behaviors, which fell into three broad categories: anxiety-like, depressive-like, and externally oriented. Externall

SUBMITTER: Strome EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC137787 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature