Cited by 1,386Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Mechanisms of stress in the brain

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McEwen, Bruce S, Bowles, Nicole P, Gray, Jason D, Hill, Matthew N, Hunter, Richard G, Karatsoreos, Ilia N, Nasca, Carla·2015·Nature Neuroscience

Abstract

The brain is the central organ involved in perceiving and adapting to social and physical stressors via multiple interacting mediators, from the cell surface to the cytoskeleton to epigenetic regulation and nongenomic mechanisms. A key result of stress is structural remodeling of neural architecture, which may be a sign of successful adaptation, whereas persistence of these changes when stress ends indicates failed resilience. Excitatory amino acids and glucocorticoids have key roles in these processes, along with a growing list of extra- and intracellular mediators that includes endocannabinoids and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The result is a continually changing pattern of gene expression mediated by epigenetic mechanisms involving histone modifications and CpG methylation and hydroxymethylation as well as by the activity of retrotransposons that may alter genomic stability. Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of plasticity and vulnerability of the brain provides a basis for understanding the efficacy of interventions for anxiety and depressive disorders as well as age-related cognitive decline.

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  • Molecular expression, synaptic plasticity, and structural plasticity changes in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons are implicated in depression symptoms.

    “Molecular expression, synaptic plasticity, and structural plasticity changes in NAc MSNs are implicated in depression symptomology (22, 23).”
  • Stress-induced dysfunction in forebrain excitatory transmission led to the excitatory synaptic transmission hypothesis of depression.

    “Stress-induced dysfunction in forebrain excitatory transmission has led to the development of the excitatory synaptic transmission hypothesis of depression (22, 32, 33).”
  • Stress can decrease activity across frontal limbic regions through dendritic spine and arbor atrophy and through disruption of synaptic plasticity and intrinsic cellular mechanisms.

    “Stress can lead to functional decreases in activity across these regions through structural dendritic spine and arbor atrophy, as well as disruption in synaptic plasticity and intrinsic cellular mechanisms (22).”
  • Excitatory synaptic transmission is impaired in frontal limbic regions including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus after stress.

    “It is well known that excitatory synaptic transmission is impaired in many frontal limbic brain regions including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus following stress (22).”
  • The stress response is highly conserved and essential for survival under environmental challenge.

    “The stress response is a highly conserved process essential for survival under conditions of environmental challenge (McEwen et al 2015, McKlveen et al 2015).”

    From Prefrontal cortex executive processes affected by stress in health and disease (2018) · cites this paper as McEwen et al 2015, McKlveen et al 2015

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [10]McEwen BS Chattarji S Handbook of Neurochemistry and Molecular Neurobiology 2007 Springer-Verlag 572 593
  2. [11]Cameron HA Gould E Shaw C Receptor Dynamics in Neural Development 1996 CRC Press 141 157
  3. [55]McEwen BS Stress and hippocampal plasticity Annu. Rev. Neurosci 1999 22 105 122 10202533
  4. [134]Hill MN McEwen BS Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the neurobehavioural effects of stress and glucocorticoids Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2010 34 791 797 doi:S0278-5846(09)00387-X [pii] 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.11.001 19903506 PMC2945244 · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
McEwen, B. S., Bowles, N. P., Gray, J. D., Hill, M. N., Hunter, R. G., Karatsoreos, I. N., & Nasca, C.
Affiliations
  • Rockefeller University (US)
  • University of Calgary (CA)
  • University of Massachusetts Boston (US)
  • Washington State University (US)
Corresponding author
McEwen, Bruce S
Venue
Nature Neuroscience
Published
2015-09-25
Volume
18
Issue
10
Pages
1353-1363
ISSN
  • 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1726
OpenAlex
W1958676502
Cited by
1,386
References
140
Citations by year
2026: 85 · 2025: 118 · 2024: 141 · 2023: 132 · 2022: 150 · 2021: 146 · 2020: 125 · 2019: 132 · 2018: 125 · 2017: 122 · 2016: 101 · 2015: 7
FWCI
9.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Hope for Depression Research Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH41256, F32MH102065, R01MH041256)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
stress, brain adaptation, neuroplasticity, resilience, epigenetic regulation, histone modifications, DNA methylation, hydroxymethylation, retrotransposons, glucocorticoids, excitatory amino acids, endocannabinoids, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, anxiety disorders, depression, age-related cognitive decline, cytoskeleton, gene expression
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Humans, Neuronal Plasticity, Stress, Psychological, Epigenesis, Genetic

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