Hormonal Changes in Chronic Stress Can Cause Brain to Rewire

SAN JUAN, P.R. — The well-known endocrine and neural reactions that impart survival advantages in short-term stress are being shown to result in structural remodeling that can be noted in the brain's amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex during long-term stress and resultant depression, Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American College of Psychiatrists.