Lateral Anterior Hypothalamus

LAH

Tissue Cns

The convergence point of the aggression circuit and the best-characterised site of a steroid effect on behaviour anywhere in the literature. Adolescent exposure changes vasopressin, dopamine, serotonin and GABA signalling here together, which is why the behaviour change is not undone by acting on any one of them.

Relationships

3 connections

Lateral Anterior Hypothalamus binds

Dopamine D2 Receptor

The dopamine receptor that holds prolactin down and carries reward and motivation signalling. Losing D2 tone raises prolactin and flattens drive and sexual response.

Lateral Anterior Hypothalamus increases risk of

Aggression

Hostility and short fuse. Reported consistently by users and in case series, and produced in blinded trials mainly at supraphysiological doses and mainly in a minority of people.

Lateral Anterior Hypothalamus suppresses

GABA Signalling

The brain's main inhibitory signal, and the channel that alcohol, benzodiazepines and the neurosteroid allopregnanolone all act on. Anabolic steroids act on it directly too, at a site that overlaps the benzodiazepine site, which is a route to mental effects that has nothing to do with the androgen receptor.

Beyond this page

Lateral Anterior Hypothalamus also connects to 1 entry in the applied modules, covering supplements, compounds, hormones and food sources. Those carry the mechanism and the evidence tier behind each link, and they are part of client coaching.

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