Grant: Project Grant

Acute stress causes a number of changes to brain circuits, resulting in changes in behaviour. But the stress response can also become unbalanced; it is a contributing factor in the development of several psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorders. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms driving stress-induced changes in brain circuitry may allow mitigation of stress-induced dysfunction. These changes were thought to directly result from the elevation in stress hormones. However, we have evidence that many of these changes require inflammatory signaling. Here we will define how stress results in inflammation, the cell types involved, and how inflammation changes brain circuitry. We will then test if blocking the inflammatory signaling can reverse stress-induced changes. This could be a potential therapy for stress-associated pathologies, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).