Molecular evidence on the effect of chronic stress

Researchers at the University of Buffalo have linked the loss of glutamate receptor with negative effects of chronic stress, confirming on a molecular level that chronic stress has a more powerful effect on the brain during adolescence than in adulthood.

Zhen Yan, PhD, a professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences said: "We have identified a causal link between molecules and behaviours involved in stress responses.

"It's the first time that the loss of glutamate receptor has been causally linked to the negative effects of chronic or repeated stress."

The stress response linkage with the glutamate system is becoming a recognised trend among neuroscientists, and further understanding could help treat disorders such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.

During the research, Yan and her colleagues found that there was a loss of glutamate receptor expression and function in the prefrontal cortex. This led to significant impairment in the ability of adolescent test animals to remember and recognize objects they had previously seen.

Understanding stress at a molecular level will be key to developing strategies to prevent stress-induced behavioural deficits.

Posted by Neil Clark