Aging, stress, and society: a psychoneuroendocrinological view

This current article tries to explain, in a first moment, the general aspects of stress as well as its importance in the context of senescence. It also approaches the natural process of aging in a social and biological context and aspects that can accelerate or delay the aging process. On the biological approach, we will focus on the model of central control of stress and the consequent activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by different areas of the brain, unchained by stressors. We still demonstrate their neurophysiological alterations, attesting that the neural circuits of stress are crucial to survival and to the stability of the physiological and the psychological functions. Besides – C. G.de Freitas e Graduanda do Curso de Psicologia da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Endereco: Rua Dolores Duran, 189, Vila da Penha, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20.211-070, Brasil. E-mail: ca_giglio@hotmail.com; A. Sholl-Franco e Biologo (FAMATh), Especialista em Neurobiologia (UFF), Mestre e Doutor em Ciencias (UFRJ). Atua como Professor no Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF – UFRJ) e Coordenador do Nucleo de Neurociencias e Ciencias da Saude do Instituto de Ciencias Cognitivas (ICC) e Orientou este trabalho. Endereco para contato: Sala G2-032, Bloco G – CCS, Programa de Neurobiologia – IBCCFUFRJ, Av. Brigadeiro Trompowiski S/N – Cidade Universitaria, Ilha do Fundao, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21.941-590, Brasil. Telefone: +55 (21) 2562-6562. E-mail: asholl@biof.ufrj.br. Revisao Ciencias & Cognicao 2004; Vol 01: 34-53 © Ciencias & Cognicao Submetido em 15 de Fevereiro de 2004| Aceito em 7 de Marco de 2004 | ISSN 1806-5821 Publicado on line em 31 de Marco de 2004