Homeostatic chronic low stress results in low to moderate levels of CRF in the LC in association with enhanced Extra-Dimensional Shifting and optimal executive decision making. However, acute or chronic severe stress is linked to high levels of CRF in the LC and this may contribute to a shift from optimal executive function necessary for goal-directed behavior toward an iterative decision response.
In healthy environments, this variable tonicity is a readout for adaptation when goal-oriented behavior is relaxed so that the individual uses pro-forma decisions even when novel environmental stimuli are encountered.
During aging these pathways lose flexibility due to a decrease in executive decision making linked to the senescence phenotype that may impair neural circuitry via inflammation, over or under activation and lack of control over immune cell responses.
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