Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticity
Introduction The world’s population has been exposed to traumatic events and high levels of stress due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Stress is known currently as a universal experience, but the concept was first defined in 1936 by Hans Selye. It has been shown that stress is associated with im...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822020909/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797616647232552960 |
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| author | A.C. Bondar A.-G. Buciuc |
| author_facet | A.C. Bondar A.-G. Buciuc |
| author_sort | A.C. Bondar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
The world’s population has been exposed to traumatic events and high levels of stress due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Stress is known currently as a universal experience, but the concept was first defined in 1936 by Hans Selye. It has been shown that stress is associated with impairments in neuroplasticity (e.g. neuronal atrophy and synaptic loss in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex) and has a crucial role in almost all mental disorders.
Objectives
In this paper we aim to highlight the recent theoretical and experimental advances in neuroscience regarding stress induced neuroplasticity.
Methods
We analyzed scientific literature written in English and published between 2019-2021. We used the electronic portal PubMed-NCBI.
Results
In the last few years, molecular and cellular studies on animal models of stress related and stress-induced psychopathologies revealed alterations in gene expression, micro ARNs expression, as well as in intracellular signaling pathways that mediate the stress induced adaptations. These findings have led to new theories regarding depression and anxiety in the molecular neurobiology field. It has been shown that stress reduces BDNF expression inducing neuronal atrophy in various brain areas. Contrastingly, other studies have demonstrated that chronic antidepressant treatment increases BDNF expression. Furthermore, a crucial role has been assigned to miRNAs in the development of chronic stress-induced depression-like behavior and neuroplasticity.
Conclusions
We hope that this paper will increase interest in the field of stress induced cellular and molecular changes. More research needs to be pursued in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of stress-induced mental disorders.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:44:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b36422240cc4c61bf3c0812899a1d60 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:44:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b36422240cc4c61bf3c0812899a1d602023-11-17T05:08:02ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S808S80810.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2090Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticityA.C. Bondar0A.-G. Buciuc1Titu Maiorescu University, Psychiatry, Bucharest, RomaniaTitu Maiorescu University, Psychiatry, Bucharest, Romania “Prof. Dr. Al. Obregia” Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, General Psychiatry, Bucharest, Romania Introduction The world’s population has been exposed to traumatic events and high levels of stress due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Stress is known currently as a universal experience, but the concept was first defined in 1936 by Hans Selye. It has been shown that stress is associated with impairments in neuroplasticity (e.g. neuronal atrophy and synaptic loss in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex) and has a crucial role in almost all mental disorders. Objectives In this paper we aim to highlight the recent theoretical and experimental advances in neuroscience regarding stress induced neuroplasticity. Methods We analyzed scientific literature written in English and published between 2019-2021. We used the electronic portal PubMed-NCBI. Results In the last few years, molecular and cellular studies on animal models of stress related and stress-induced psychopathologies revealed alterations in gene expression, micro ARNs expression, as well as in intracellular signaling pathways that mediate the stress induced adaptations. These findings have led to new theories regarding depression and anxiety in the molecular neurobiology field. It has been shown that stress reduces BDNF expression inducing neuronal atrophy in various brain areas. Contrastingly, other studies have demonstrated that chronic antidepressant treatment increases BDNF expression. Furthermore, a crucial role has been assigned to miRNAs in the development of chronic stress-induced depression-like behavior and neuroplasticity. Conclusions We hope that this paper will increase interest in the field of stress induced cellular and molecular changes. More research needs to be pursued in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of stress-induced mental disorders. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822020909/type/journal_articleDepressionStressNeuroplasticityAnxiety |
| spellingShingle | A.C. Bondar A.-G. Buciuc Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticity European Psychiatry Depression Stress Neuroplasticity Anxiety |
| title | Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticity |
| title_full | Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticity |
| title_fullStr | Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticity |
| title_short | Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - impact on neuroplasticity |
| title_sort | stress during the covid 19 pandemic impact on neuroplasticity |
| topic | Depression Stress Neuroplasticity Anxiety |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822020909/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT acbondar stressduringthecovid19pandemicimpactonneuroplasticity AT agbuciuc stressduringthecovid19pandemicimpactonneuroplasticity |