Cortisol or Adrenaline in Fight or Flight Response?

[HiddenUser]

Which is the main hormone involved in CAUSING* the Fight or Flight response? Also what is the neurotransmitter involved in the FF response?

[pi]

Adrenaline

[brenden]

Yep adrenalin for sure. Think of the physiological symptoms experienced during an "adrenaline rush"  - increased heart rate, decreased saliva etc etc. Sound familiar?

[HiddenUser]

Is it the cause of the response too?

I'm kinda confused on which main hormone causes it.

[pi]

Hormones and neurotransmitters are the same in this case: adrenaline is "both".

[brenden]

Is it the cause of the response too?

I'm kinda confused on which main hormone causes it.

The stressor is the cause of the response.

[pi]

And the stressor is usually "fear", which is probably beyond the scope of the course to understand.


(look up the role of the amygdala if you are overly keen on it though)

[brenden]

And the stressor is usually "fear", which is probably beyond the scope of the course to understand.


(look up the role of the amygdala if you are overly keen on it though)

We cover the amygdala in Psych. Well, it's examinable at least.

[pi]

Ah ok, that's pretty cool then, sorry about that haha

[brenden]

Ah ok, that's pretty cool then, sorry about that haha

Nah no sweat. There's a fair amount of overlap from what my Bio friends tell me.

[katykins]

Im confused the text im using doesnt go into much detail about how the body recognises a stressor activating the hpa axis ect..is there a particular neurotransmitter that causes a reaction from the hypothalmus to activate the hpa axis? i know that adrenaline is the end product ect...

[HiddenUser]

I'm kind of confused aswell because in one of my tests it asks to specify the key neurotransmitter and hormone that CAUSES a fight-or-flight response.

[pi]

I think there are multiple factors that can activate the hpa-axis, not a single molecule. But from googling, serotonin seems to play a key role in chronic cases.

[Tomw2]

The physiological fight/flight response to an acute stimulus/stimuli is caused primarily by adrenaline (and noradrenaline), which is both a hormone acting on the body via the blood stream and a neurotransmitter.

In longer term stress adaptation and response (e.g. final weeks of semester, living in a violent/dangerous neighbourhood, military training) the primary agent is cortisol (a hormone). This hormone is also primarily responsible for the long term effects of stress (e.g. immune suppression).

Im confused the text im using doesnt go into much detail about how the body recognises a stressor activating the hpa axis ect..is there a particular neurotransmitter that causes a reaction from the hypothalmus to activate the hpa axis? i know that adrenaline is the end product ect...

As per LovesPhysics, there are believed to be multiple inputs that start the process, generally these are from higher cortical  and midbrain areas - particularly primary sensory cortices, limbic and hippocampus. Without going into the details, its a combination of inhibitory and excitatory inputs to the hypothalamus that trigger it.
It has been observed in some cases that the pupils and blood vessels begin responding to threats even before conscious awareness of the threat - an amygdala-to-limbic associated response.

[katykins]

sweet thanks! thats the answer i have been looking for