Brain On Stress: Vulnerability and Plasticity of the Prefrontal Cortex Over the Life Course

By Bruce S. McEwen, John H. Morrison. Neuron, 2013

958 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in working memory, self-regulatory and goal-directed behaviors and displays remarkable structural and functional plasticity over the life course. Neural circuitry, molecular profiles and neurochemistry can be changed by experiences, which influences behavior as well as neuroendocrine and autonomic function. Such effects have a particular impact during infancy and in adolescence. Behavioral stress affects both the structure and function of PFC, though such effects are not necessarily permanent, as young animals show remarkable neuronal resilience if the stress is discontinued. During aging, neurons within the PFC become less resilient to stress. There are also sex differences in the PFC response to stressors. While such stress- and sex-hormone related alterations occur in regions mediating the highest levels of cognitive function and self regulatory control, the fact that they are not necessarily permanent has implications for future behavior-based therapies that harness neural plasticity for recovery.

Subfields: Behavioral Neuroscience, Biological Psychiatry, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/be1f575bf066df5e93cc755c139ba5ef5c31c9a6

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Citations in the corpus

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (2015, background): “Chronic stress also has a deleterious effect on the prefrontal cortex, and atrophic changes can also be observed in patientswith chronic PTSD.(58) Structural MRI studies demonstrate that the thickness of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex cortical strip is correlated with extinction retention.”
Altered connectivity in depression: GABA and glutamate neurotransmitter deficits and reversal by novel treatments (2019, background): “These studies show that exposure to chronic stress decreases dendrite length and branching of hippocampus CA3 pyramidal neurons and mPFC layers II/II and V pyramidal neurons (Duman et al., 2016; McEwen et al., 2015; McEwen and Morrison, 2013; Morrison and Baxter, 2012).”
The Classroom as a Developmental Context for Cognitive Development: A Meta-Analysis on the Importance of Teacher–Student Interactions for Children’s Executive Functions (2018, background): “Although maturation is important for the development of EF, the brain shows remarkable anatomical and functional plasticity, especially in periods of rapid growth (V. Anderson et al., 2008; McEwen & Morrison, 2013; Zelazo & Carlson, 2012).”
Adolescence as a neurobiological critical period for the development of higher-order cognition (2018, positive): “Given the developmental mechanisms at play in adolescent PFC, and evidence of increased hormonal stress response in adolescence (Klein and Romeo, 2013), stressful experience has a particularly strong influence at this time (McEwen and Morrison, 2013).”
Neurobiological and Systemic Effects of Chronic Stress (2017, background): “, being more vigilant and anxious in a potentially dangerous environment.(9) The healthy brain is resilient and neural circuitry adapts to a new situation along with underlying changes in gene expression.”