Hypothalamus: Function, Hormones, and More - Healthline

The hypothalamus is a small but crucial part of the brain. It controls functions such as sleep and growth. View a 3-D diagram and learn about related ... HealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeSleepSleepScienceRoutinesMind&BodyDisordersChallengeNapsDreamsProductsHypothalamusOverviewMedicallyreviewedbyNancyHammond,M.D.—WrittenbyJillSeladi-Schulman,Ph.D.—UpdatedonJanuary31,2022FunctionHormonesHypothalamusdisordersHypothalamushealthtipsWhatisthehypothalamus?Thehypothalamusisasmallregionofthebrain.It’slocatedatthebaseofthebrain,nearthepituitarygland.Whileit’sverysmall,thehypothalamusplaysacrucialroleinmanyimportantfunctions,including:releasinghormonesmaintainingdailyphysiologicalcyclescontrollingappetitemanagingsexualbehaviorregulatingemotionalresponsesregulatingbodytemperatureUsethisinteractive3-Ddiagramtoexplorethehypothalamus.Whatisthefunctionofthehypothalamus?Thehypothalamushasthreemainregions.Eachonecontainsdifferentnuclei.Nucleiareclustersofneuronsthatperformvitalfunctions.AnteriorregionTheanteriorregionisalsocalledthesupraopticregion.Itsmajornucleiincludethesupraopticnucleusandparaventricularnucleus.Thereareseveralothersmallernucleiintheanteriorregionaswell.Thenucleiintheanteriorregionarelargelyinvolvedinthesecretionofvarioushormones.Manyofthesehormonesinteractwiththenearbypituitaryglandtoproduceadditionalhormones.Theanteriorregionofthehypothalamusalsohelpsregulatebodytemperaturethroughsweat.Italsomaintainscircadianrhythms,whicharephysicalandbehavioralchangesthatoccuronadailycycle.Forexample,beingawakeduringthedayandsleepingatnighttimeisacircadianrhythmrelatedtothepresenceorabsenceoflight.Learnmoreaboutthecircadianrhythmandsleep.MiddleregionThemiddleregionisalsocalledthetuberalregion.Itsmajornucleiarethearcuatenucleusandventromedialnucleus.Partoftheparaventricularnucleusisalsolocatedhere.Thearcuatenucleusisinvolvedinappetiteandreleasinggrowthhormone-releasinghormone(GHRH).Theventromedialnucleusalsohelpsregulateappetiteandgrowth.PosteriorregionTheposteriorregionisalsocalledthemammillaryregion.Theposteriorhypothalamicnucleusandmammillarynucleusareitsmainnuclei.Theposteriorhypothalamicnucleushelpsregulatebodytemperaturebycausingshiveringandblockingsweatproduction.Themammillarynucleusisinvolvedinmemoryfunction.Whatarethehormonesofthehypothalamus?Someofthemostimportanthormonesproducedintheanteriorregionofthehypothalamusinclude:Corticotropin-releasinghormone(CRH).CRHisinvolvedinthebody’sresponsetobothphysicalandemotionalstress.Itsignalsthepituitaryglandtoproduceahormonecalledadrenocorticotropichormone(ACTH).ACTHtriggerstheproductionofcortisol,animportantstresshormone.Gonadotropin-releasinghormone(GnRH).ProductionofGnRHcausesthepituitaryglandtoproduceimportantreproductivehormones,suchasfollicle-stimulatinghormone(FSH)andluteinizinghormone(LH).Thyrotropin-releasinghormone(TRH).ProductionofTRHstimulatesthepituitaryglandtoproducethyroid-stimulatinghormone(TSH).TSHplaysanimportantroleinthefunctionofmanybodyparts,suchasthemuscles,heart,andgastrointestinaltract.Somatostatin.Somatostatinworkstostopthepituitaryglandfromreleasingcertainhormones,includinggrowthhormonesandTSH.Oxytocin.Thishormonecontrolsmanyimportantbehaviorsandemotions,suchassexualarousal,trust,recognition,andmaternalbehavior.It’salsoinvolvedinsomefunctionsofthereproductivesystem,suchaschildbirthandlactation.Learnmoreaboutoxytocin.Vasopressin.Alsocalledantidiuretichormone(ADH),vasopressinregulateswaterlevelsinthebody.Whenvasopressinisreleased,itsignalsthekidneystoabsorbwater.Inthemiddleregionofthehypothalamus,GHRHstimulatesthepituitaryglandtoproducegrowthhormone.Thisisresponsibleforthegrowthanddevelopmentofthebody.Whatarehypothalamusdisorders?Whenthehypothalamusdoesnotworkproperly,it’scalledhypothalamicdysfunction.Hypothalamicdysfunctionplaysaroleinmanyconditions,including:Diabetesinsipidus.Ifthehypothalamusdoesnotproduceandreleaseenoughvasopressin,thekidneyscanremovetoomuchwater.Thiscausesincreasedurinationandthirst.Learnmoreaboutdiabetesinsipidus,whichisunrelatedtodiabetesmellitus.Prader-Willisyndrome.Thisisarare,inheriteddisorderthatcausesthehypothalamustonotregisterwhensomeoneisfullaftereating.PeoplewithPrader-Willisyndromehaveaconstanturgetoeat,increasingtheirriskofobesity.Additionalsymptomsincludeaslowermetabolismanddecreasedmuscle.Hypopituitarism.Thisdisorderoccurswhenthepituitaryglanddoesnotproduceenoughhormones.Whileit’susuallycausedbydamagetothepituitarygland,hypothalamicdysfunctioncanalsocauseit.Manyhormonesproducedbythehypothalamusdirectlyaffectthoseproducedbythepituitarygland.Gigantism.Gigantismoccurswhenthepituitaryglandproducestoomuchgrowthhormone.Ittypicallyaffectschildrenandadolescents.Theprimarysymptomisatallstature,butitcanalsoresultinsymptomssuchasaheadthat’slargerthanexpectedorlargehandsandfeet.Apituitarytumoristhemostcommoncauseofgigantismandacromegaly,asimilarcondition.Hypothalamusabnormalitiescanalsocausetheseconditionsbystimulatingthepituitaryglandtoproducetoomuchgrowthhormone.Acromegaly.Acromegalyisalsocausedbythepituitaryglandproducingexcessgrowthhormone.It’ssimilartogigantism,exceptittypicallyaffectsadults.Becausethegrowthplateshavefusedbyadulthood,acromegalydoesnotaffectaperson’sheight.Itcanresultinsymptomssuchaslargehandsandfeetorenlargedfacialfeatures(likethenose,lips,ortongue).SymptomsofhypothalamusdisordersHypothalamicconditionscancausearangeofsymptoms.Whichsymptomsyoumayexperiencedependonthepartofthehypothalamusandtypesofhormonesinvolved.Somesymptomsthatcouldsignalaproblemwiththehypothalamusinclude:unusuallyhighorlowbloodpressurefluctuationsinbodytemperatureunexplainedweightgainorweightlossincreasedordecreasedappetiteinsomniainfertilityshortstaturedelayedonsetofpubertydehydrationfrequenturinationCausesandriskfactorsSeveralthingscancausehypothalamicdysfunction,including:headinjuriessurgeryinvolvingthebrainautoimmuneconditionscertaingeneticconditions,suchasgrowthhormonedeficiencycongenitalirregularitiesinvolvingthebrainorhypothalamustumorsinoraroundthehypothalamuseatingdisorders,suchasanorexiaorbulimiaWhataresometipsforahealthyhypothalamus?Whilesomehypothalamusconditionsareunavoidable,thereareafewthingsyoucandotokeepyourhypothalamushealthy.EatabalanceddietWhileeatingabalanceddietisimportantforeverybodypart,it’sespeciallycrucialwhenitcomestothehypothalamus.A2017studyinmicefoundthateatingahighfatdietledtoinflammationofthehypothalamus.Ontheotherhand,adifferent2017studyinmiceconcludedthatadiethighinbothfatandsugar—notjustfat—causedinflammationofthehypothalamus.Toreduceyourriskofahypothalamuscondition,makesureyou’reawareofhowmuchfatandsugaryouconsumeperday.GetenoughsleepA2014studyinratsfoundthatsleepdeprivationwasassociatedwithhypothalamicdysfunction.Inaddition,researcherssuggestedthatsleepdeprivationmayincreasesomeone’sriskofneurologicaldisease.Ifyouhaveahardtimesleeping,considertryingnaturalremediestohelpyousleepandkeepyourhypothalamusworkingproperly.ExerciseregularlyLikeeatingabalanceddietandgettingenoughsleep,regularexerciseboostsyouroverallhealth.A2016studylookedatthreegroupsofobesemiceovera12-weekperiod:micethatweregivenahighfatdietandavoluntaryrunningwheelmicethatweregivenahighfatdietandnovoluntaryrunningwheelmicethatweregivenanormaldietandnovoluntaryrunningwheelThemicethatweregivenavoluntaryrunningwheelexperiencedlessweightgainthanthemicewhoateahighfatdietbutdidnotexercise.Ifyou’rehavingtroublewiththedietpart,exerciseisparticularlyimportant.A2012studyinvolvingmicefoundthatevenamildamountofregularexercisereducedhypothalamicinflammationrelatedtoahighfatdiet.Notsurewheretostart?Checkoutourbeginner’sguidetoworkingout.LastmedicallyreviewedonJanuary31,202211sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Brainyhormones.(2022).endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/hormones-and-endocrine-function/brain-hormonesCircadianrhythms.(2021).nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspxDalviPS,etal.(2017).Highfatinducesacuteandchronicinflammationinthehypothalamus:Effectofhigh-fatdiet,palmitateandTNF-αonappetite-regulatingNPYneurons.nature.com/articles/ijo2016183Diabetesinsipidus.(2021).niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/diabetes-insipidusGaoQ,etal.(2009).Hypothalamus.Encyclopediaofneuroscience.link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_2322GaoY,etal.(2017).Dietarysugars,notlipids,drivehypothalamicinflammation.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877817302399KimJ-H,etal.(2014).Chronicsleepdeprivation-inducedproteomechangesinastrocytesoftherathypothalamus.pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/pr500431jLaingBT,etal.(2016).Voluntaryexerciseimproveshypothalamicandmetabolicfunctioninobesemice.joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/joe/229/2/109.xmlShahidZ,etal.(2021).Physiology,hypothalamus.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535380WhatisPrader-Willisyndrome?(n.d.).pwsausa.org/what-is-prader-willi-syndromeYiC-X,etal.(2012).Exerciseprotectsagainsthigh-fatdiet-inducedhypothalamicinflammation.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938412001266FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyNancyHammond,M.D.—WrittenbyJillSeladi-Schulman,Ph.D.—UpdatedonJanuary31,2022ReadthisnextPituitaryGlandOverviewMedicallyreviewedbySuzanneFalck,MDThepituitaryglandisasmallstructurethataffectsmanyareasofyourbodyandoverallhealth.We’llgoovertheanatomyandfunctionofthepituitarygland,thehormonesitstoresandreleases,andthekindsofconditionsthatcanaffectit.You’llalsolearnhowtorecognizesignsofapituitaryglandcondition.READMORECerebellumMedicallyreviewedbyHeidiMoawad,M.D.Thecerebellumislocatedbehindthetoppartofthebrainstemandismadeoftwohalves.Learnaboutitsfunction,andviewaninteractive3Dmodel.READMOREThalamusMedicallyreviewedbytheHealthlineMedicalNetworkThethalamusislocateddeepwithinthebraininthecerebralcortex,adjacenttothehypothalamus.Itisasymmetricalstructure,situatedontopofthebrainstemandoneithersideofthethirdcortex.Thetwohalvesarebulb-shapedandareabout5.5to6.READMOREPinealglandMedicallyreviewedbytheHealthlineMedicalNetworkThepinealgland,alsoknownasthe'pinealbody,'isasmallendocrine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