WASHINGTON, D.C. — Recent research has begun to identify the neural mechanisms in stress responses that may lead to the development of resilience. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2021, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
Resilience to stress is the ability of an individual to cope with hardship; this ability comes easier to some individuals than others. A person’s level of resilience can be a determining factor for successfully coping with stressful events. Individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other disorders may one day benefit from treatments targeting specific circuits and regions of the brain. However, the exact mechanisms of resilience, such as how it mediates the relationship between the brain and the rest of the body, are not yet known.
Today’s new findings show:
“Stress affects us in many ways, and these studies show us that resilience is also multi-faceted,” said press conference moderator Martha Farah, Walter H. Annenberg Professor in Natural Sciences and director of the Center for Neuroscience & Society at the University of Pennsylvania. “Discovering the brain mechanisms of resilience is arguably the holy grail of psychiatry. These findings will contribute to new treatments for PTSD and other anxiety and mood disorders.”
This research was supported by national funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health and private funding organizations. Find out more about resilience, stress, and PTSD on BrainFacts.org .
Stress Resilience Press Conference Summary
Examining the Role of Specific Touch Neurons in Reward and Stress Resilience
Melanie Schaffler, mdschaffler@gmail.com , Abstract P702.12
Sexually Dimorphic Effects of Adolescent Stress in an X-linked Congenic Strain Showing Passive Coping and Increased Anxiety
Eva E. Redei, eeredei@gmail.com , Abstract P704.08
Mechanisms of Susceptibility or Resilience to Traumatic Stress: Potential Influence of the Microbiome
Esther Sabban, sabban@nymc.edu , Abstract P714.08
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About the Society for Neuroscience
The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and over 130 chapters worldwide.