From Synapses to Syndromes in Stress Research: Translational Approaches to the Study of the Neurobiology of Stress-Related Mental Disorders

Dear Colleagues,

Fear and stress-provoking experiences generate changes in the brain and behavior that can last from minutes to a lifetime. An experience-induced increase in arousal can have a constructive outcome, producing an enhancement of memory for important events and an improvement in behavioral performance. However, intense fear-provoking experiences can generate pathological outcomes. Traumatic stress contributes to the development of debilitating mood and anxiety disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and has been associated with a broad range of mental and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, phobias, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis. This special issue of Behavioral Sciences targets a broad range of research addressing the effects of stress on brain, behavior and mental disease at mechanistic, preclinical and clinical levels of analysis.

Prof. Dr. David Diamond
Guest Editor