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Mood Stability Mechanisms

Meaning

Mood Stability Mechanisms encompass the complex, redundant neurobiological and hormonal systems that actively work to maintain emotional equilibrium and prevent disruptive, excessive fluctuations in affective state. These critical mechanisms involve the precise, homeostatic regulation of key neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, alongside the modulating effects of neurosteroids and the finely tuned hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. A robust network of interconnected brain regions, particularly the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system, is also integral to this continuous regulatory control. Compromise in these mechanisms is a central, defining feature of all major mood disorders.