Stress exposure increases the release of amygdala neurotransmitters including glutamate, GABA, noradrenaline, and serotonin. These alterations involve genetic, epigenetic and molecular mechanisms as well as dendritic and synaptic reorganization processes. These modifications play an important role in stress-induced psychopathologies including anxiety, depression, and addiction. The amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing, was seen to be very susceptible to stressful events, modifying its functionality and morphology. Specifically, HPA axis activation causes the secretion of neuropeptides, which are quickly released in the brain regulating the activity of some structures, and, among these, the amygdala plays a leading role in mediating the stress response. The first effect of the stress response is the immediate activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis with release of specific hormones. Several clinical and preclinical data highlighted how acute or prolonged stress exposure may cause changes in brain that contribute to the onset of some psychiatric disorders. The brain is a very complex organ and it establishes through complicated processes, which experiences are stressful, therefore determining behavioral and physiological responses.
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