Hypothalamic Peptides in Human Brain Diseases.

The human hypothalamus is subdivided into some 20 well-defined nuclei that have a multitude of specific functions from the time of birth to the moment we die. Hypothalamic nuclei show structural and functional differences not only in relation to classic neuroendocrine disorders, such as diabetes insipidus, climacteric flushes and Kallman's syndrome, but also in relation to gender and sexual orientation, to adaptive processes such as non-thyroidal illness and in psychiatric disorders such as depression.