Hypothalamus: What It Is, Function, Conditions & Disorders

Your hypothalamus, a structure deep in your brain, acts as your body's smart control coordinating center. Its main function is to keep your ... ThinkyoumayhaveCOVID-19? Findoutwhereyoucangettested Needavaccineorbooster? Scheduletoday ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation? Visitationandmaskrequirements Home / HealthLibrary / Articles Hypothalamus Yourhypothalamus,astructuredeepinyourbrain,actsasyourbody’ssmartcontrolcoordinatingcenter.Itsmainfunctionistokeepyourbodyinastablestatecalledhomeostasis.Itdoesitsjobbydirectlyinfluencingyourautonomicnervoussystemorbymanaginghormones.Manyconditionscandamageyourhypothalamus,whichcanaffectmanybodilyfunctions. Appointments866.588.2264 Appointments&Locations RequestanAppointment Function Anatomy ConditionsandDisorders Hypothalamus Function Anatomy ConditionsandDisorders BackToTop Function Thehypothalamushelpsmanageyourbodytemperature,hungerandthirst,mood,sexdrive,bloodpressureandsleep. Whatisthehypothalamus? Thehypothalamusisastructuredeepwithinyourbrain.It’sthemainlinkbetweenyourendocrinesystemandyournervoussystem.Yourhypothalamuskeepsyourbodybalancedinastablestatecalledhomeostasis. Whatdoesyourhypothalamusdo? Yourhypothalamusreceiveschemicalmessagesfromnervecellsinyourbrainandfromnervecellsinyourbody(yourperipheralnervoussystem),whichisalsorespondingtosignalsoutsideyourbody. Yourhypothalamus’smainfunctionistoreacttothesemessagestokeepyourbodyinastablestateorinternalbalance.Justlikeyoumayhavea“smartcontrol”systemtoseamlesslymanageallfunctionsinyourhome,yourhypothalamusisyourbody’s“smartcontrol”coordinatingcenter.Yourhypothalamushelpsmanageyour: Bodytemperature. Bloodpressure. Hungerandthirst. Senseoffullnesswheneating. Mood. Sexdrive. Sleep. Yourhypothalamusperformsmanyofits“bodybalancing”jobseitherbydirectlyinfluencingtheautonomicnervoussystemorbymanaginghormones.Yourautonomicnervoussystem(bodilyfunctionsthatworkautomatically)controlseveralimportantfunctions,suchasyourheartrateandbreathing(respiration). Hormonesarethe“chemicalmessengers”thattravelinyourbloodstreamtoanotherpartofyourbody.Hormonescommunicateeitherwithanotherendocrinegland(whichreleaseotherhormones)orwithaspecificorgan. Yourhypothalamus: Makessomehormonesitselfthatarestoredelsewhere(inyourposteriorpituitary). Sendssignals(hormones)toyourpituitarygland,whicheitherreleaseshormonesthatdirectlyaffectapartofyourbodyorsendsanothersignal(hormone)toadifferentglandinyourbodythatthenreleasesitshormone. Howdoesthehypothalamusinteractwiththepituitarygland? Yourpituitaryglandsitsjustbelowyourhypothalamus.Itconsistsoftwolobes,calledtheanteriorpituitaryandposteriorpituitary.Yourhypothalamusisconnectedtoandcommunicateswithyouranteriorlobethroughanetworkofbloodvessels.Itcommunicateswithyourposteriorlobebytissuecalledthepituitarystalk. Yourhypothalamussendssignalsintheformofreleasinghormonestotelltheanteriorandposteriorpituitarywhentorelease(secrete)itshormones. Anteriorpituitary Thischartshowsthehormonesreleasedbyyourhypothalamustoyouranteriorpituitary,thehormonethepituitaryreleasesinturnandwhatthehormonedoes. Hypothalamus-releasinghormoneHormonereleasedbytheanteriorpituitaryinresponseEffectofthehormoneGrowthhormonereleasinghormone(GHRH)Growthhormone(GH)Goesdirectlytoyourlongbonesandthebigmusclestostimulategrowth.Gonadotropin-releasinghormone(GnRH)Follicle-stimulatinghormone(FSH)andluteinizinghormone(LH)Travelstogonads.Inmales,LHcausesthetestestomaketestosterone;FSHcontrolsspermproduction.Infemales,LHandFSHcontrolthemenstrualcycleandtriggerthereleaseofaneggfromtheovary(ovulation).Corticotropin-releasinghormone(CRH)Adrenocorticotropichormone(ACTH)Travelstoyouradrenalglands.Causesyoueadrenalglandstoreleasethestresshormonecortisolandregulatemetabolismandimmuneresponse.Thyrotropin-releasinghormone(TRH)Thyroid-stimulatinghormone(TSH)Travelstoyourthyroidgland.Causesyourthyroidtoreleasethyroxine(T4)andtriiodothyronine(T3).Dopamine(inhibition)Prolactin(PRL)Goesdirectlytobreasttissuetoproducebreastmilk Posteriorpituitary Yourhypothalamusmakestwohormonesbutstoresthemintheposteriorpituitary.Whenthesehormonesareneeded,yourhypothalamussendsasignaltotheposteriorpituitarytoreleasethemintothebloodstream.Thesetwohormonesare: Oxytocin:Thishormoneassistsinthebirthingprocess(stimulatesuterinemusclecontraction)andinlactation(releaseofbreastmilk).It’salsothoughttoplayaroleinhumanbonding,sexualarousal,trust,recognition,sleepcycleandfeelingsofwell-being. Vasopressin:Thishormone,alsocalledantidiuretichormone(ADH),regulatescontrolofyourbody’swater/urinevolumeandbloodpressure. Otherrolesofthehypothalamus Yourhypothalamusalsoproducesthesehormones: Dopamine.Dopamineisthe“feel-good”hormone.Itgivesyouasenseofpleasure.Itgivesyouthemotivationtodosomethingwhenyouarefeelingpleasure.Dopaminesignalsthepituitarytostopreleasingprolactin. Somatostatin.Thishormonepreventsthesecretionofseveralotherhormones,includinggrowthhormone,thyroid-stimulatinghormone,cholecystokininandinsulin.Inturn,allofthesehormonescontroltheproductionofsomatostatin. Yourhypothalamusalsocorrectsanyimbalancesinbodytemperature,stressandyourdailybodilyrhythms. Anatomy Whereisthehypothalamuslocated? Yourhypothalamus,whichisaboutthesizeofanalmond,islocatedbelowthethalamusandaboveyourpituitarygland.Itsitsdirectlyabovethebrainstematthebaseofyourbrain. ConditionsandDisorders Whathappensifthehypothalamusisdamaged? Whenyourhypothalamusisdamaged,itdoesn’tfunctionasitshould.Anothertermforwhenthere’saproblemwithyourhypothalamusishypothalamicdysfunction. Causesofhypothalamicdysfunctioninclude: Headinjuries,suchasatraumaticbraininjury. Braininfection. Braintumorinoraroundyourhypothalamusorbrainaneurysms. Significantweightlosscausedbyeatingdisorders,suchasbulimiaoranorexia. Brainsurgery. Radiationtherapyandchemotherapy. Birthdefectsinvolvingthebrainorhypothalamus. Inflammatorydiseaseincludingmultiplesclerosisandneurosarcoidosis. Somegeneticdisorders,suchasgrowthhormonedeficiency. Hypothalamusdysfunctionplaysarolein: Hypothalamic-pituitarydisorders:Becauseofthecloseinteractionsbetweenyourhypothalamusandpituitarygland,conditionsthataffecteitherarecalledhypothalamic-pituitarydisorders.Certainhormonetestscanhelpdeterminetheexacthormoneinvolvedtomakeamorespecificdiagnosis. Hypopituitarism:Thisconditioncanbecausedbydamagetoyourpituitaryglandortoyourhypothalamus,whichdirectlyaffectsthepituitarygland. Diabetesinsipidus:Thisconditionhappenswhenyourhypothalamusdoesn’tproduceandreleaseenoughvasopressin.Thiscausesyourkidneystolosetoomuchwaterandresultsinexcessivepeeingandthirst. Prader-Willisyndrome:Thisinheriteddisordercausesyourhypothalamusnottorecognizethesensationthatyou’refullwhenyou’reeating.Withoutthissensation,youhaveaconstanturgetoeatandareatriskforobesity. Kallmannsyndrome:Thissyndromehasageneticlinktohypothalamicdisease,causingsuchhypothalamicproblemsinchildrenasdelayedornopuberty. Acromegalyandpituitarygigantism:Theseareraredisordersofgrowthduetoexcessivereleaseofgrowthhormonefromyourpituitarygland. Syndromeofinappropriateantidiuretichormone:Thisoccurswhentheantidiuretichormonelevelistoohigh.Causesincludestroke,hemorrhage,infection,trauma,cancerandcertainmedications. Centralhypothyroidism:Centralhypothyroidismisararedisorderthatoccursduetobothhypothalamicandpituitarydisorders.Themostcommoncauseisapituitarytumorsuchasapituitaryadenoma. Functionalhypothalamicamenorrhea:Thisconditionistheabsenceofaperiodformorethanthreemonthsinpeopleassignedfemaleatbirth(AFAB)whopreviouslyhadregularperiodsormorethansixmonthsinpeopleAFABwhohaveirregularmenstruation.Themostcommoncauseofthisconditionishypothalamicdysfunction. Hyperprolactinemia:Adecreaseindopaminelevelscauseanincreaseinprolactinlevels.Causesincludeatumor,damagetonervecellsinthehypothalamusandothercauses. Whatarethesymptomsofhypothalamusdysfunction? Symptomsofhypothalamusdysfunctioncorrespondtothetypesofhormoneinvolvedandifthehormonelevelistoolowortoohigh.Somesymptomsofahypothalamusproblemmayinclude: Highbloodpressureorlowbloodpressure. Waterretentionordehydration. Weightlossorweightgainwithorwithoutchangesinappetite. Infertility. Poorbonehealth. Delayedpuberty. Musclelossandweakness. Bodytemperaturefluctuations. Troublesleeping(insomnia). Frequentneedtopee. AnotefromClevelandClinic Yourbrain’shypothalamusisthe“smartcontrol”coordinatingcenterofyourbody.Justlikeyourhome’s“smartcontrol”systemautomaticallyadjustsheat,cold,securityandeverythingyouneedtohaveasuccessfullyfunctioninghome,sotoodoesyourhypothalamusserveinthissamecapacityinyourbody.Itworksdirectlyonyourautonomicsystemtoseamlesslymanagesuchfunctionsasyourheartrate,bloodpressureandbodytemperature.Italsoworksbyreleasinghormonesthatdirectotherhormonesorotherglandstomanageotherbodilyfunctionslikesleep,mood,muscleandbonegrowthandsexualdrive.Manyconditionscanaffectyourhypothalamus,causingawiderangeofhealthproblems. Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Getuseful,helpfulandrelevanthealth+wellnessinformation enews ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. 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