Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

This is a proposal from Brain Awareness Montreal (BAM) to collaborate with CIHR for a Café Scientifique on "stress and the brain" as part of the 2014 BAM Café Scientifique series. Through this series, BAM seeks to increase public awareness of brain research and incite interest in neuroscience. Our Cafés Scienfiques have always centred on interactive discussions between a panel of expert scientists and the general public. While moderate acute stress may actually be good for us, exposure to extreme or chronic stress can cause and/or worsen mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, as well physical illnesses, particularly cardiovascular disease. In Canada, work time lost to stress has been estimated to cost Canadian businesses about $12 billion annually. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020, stress will be the second leading cause of death. Sadly, stigma surrounding stress-related disorders, particularly those that are psychological or neurological in origin, hinder recovery by causing those affected to withdraw from society and avoid seeking treatment when they need it most. As such, increased public awareness of the effects of stress, via events like our Café Scientifique, is key. We hope that such opportunities for knowledge sharing will ultimately help reduce stigma toward patients suffering from stress-related disorders and their families. We further hope that the conversation will be beneficial not only to those individuals suffering from stress-related pathology, but also to the general public, because we all deal with stress on a daily basis. For the Café Scientifique, our panel of selected speakers will discuss various facets of stress, including the latest advances in research on the neuroscience of stress, its short- and long-term effects, current therapeutic interventions, and practical tips for stress reduction. Finally, some light entertainment will be provided to uphold the spirit of the café.