Abstract

History of Neuroscience Lecture - Neuroscience Redefines the Stress Concept: From "Fight or Flight" to Neuroplasticity and Affective Disorders

Akil H
51st Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. 2022.

Abstract

The stress response was originally defined as a "fight or flight response” to an acute stressor. Neuroscience has redefined the concept more broadly as an ongoing, adaptive process of assessing the environment, coping with it, and enabling the individual to anticipate and deal with future challenges. Neuroscientists have identified molecules and neural circuits critical to the stress response and highlighted the impact of stress on neuroplasticity. The evolution of the stress concept and its relevance to affective vulnerability and resilience will be discussed.