Target Sites of Therapeutic Interventions in Diseases PartlyConditioned by Psychosocial Stress

Overview

Contemporary views on the mechanisms of development of stress are a synthesis of Selye’s andCannon’s concepts. The authors present the contemporary model of the activation hypothesismodified by the authors of the review which presumes the existence of four levels.At the first level the event represents a certain information in the life of the individual. Within theframework of the second level the information is taken up by the central nervous system whereactivation of cognitive functions occurs which is interconnected with the activation of the limbicsystem and hypothalamus; this leads to an emotional reaction incl. a vegetative reaction. Via thereticular activation system activation of the cerebral cortex occurs and via the latter consciousand non-conscious associations are evoked; the new experience is confronted with previous experienceswith similar or identical stimuli. Within the framework of the third level thus processedinformation is transferred by three mediating mechanisms: neurovegetative, neuroendocrine andneuroimmune. At the fourth level first a functional and then an organic disorder of the targetorgan or organ system occurs.In the conclusions the authors give an account of target sites of basic psychotherapeutic andpsychopharmacotherapeutic interventions.

Key words:
target sites, emotional response, cognitive function, meliorstressor, diseases partlyconditioned by psychosocial stress, psychopharmacotherapeutic intervention, psychotherapeuticintervention.