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Stress Effects on the Developing Brain 129Figure 6-1 Brain structures that are central to the activation and inhibition of the HPAendocrine stress response. A, the main brain areas that participate in the regulation of theHPA axis; B, a schematic representation of the HPA endocrine stress response initiatedby the release of CRH/AVP from the medial parvocellular region of the paraventricularnucleus (mpPVN) in the hypothalamus. The darkened area of the adrenal gland reflectsthe cortex; the lighter area, the medulla. Glucocorticoids inhibit this system acting at thelevel of the pituitary, hypothalamus, and hippocampus. PFCtx = prefrontal cortex, AMY= amygdala, HYP = hypothalamus, HC = hippocampus, NTS = nucleus tractus, solitarius;GABA = gamma animobutyric acid, CRH = corticotropin releasing hormone, AVP = argininevasopressin, ACTH = adrenocorticotropic hormone. Reprinted with permission fromGunnar & Vazquez, 2006.