Sep. 2, 2008 The brain is the key organ in the response to
stress. It reacts in a complex, orchestrated manner that is
related to the activation and inhibition of neural structures
involved in sensory, motor, autonomic, cognitive and emotional
processes. It is the brain which finally determines what in the
world is threatening and might be stressful for us, and which
regulates the stress responses that can be either adaptive or
maladaptive. Chronic stress can affect the brain and lead into
depression: Environmental stressors (e.g. job and family
situation, neighborhood) and especially stressful life events
such as trauma or abuse are amongst the most potent factors to
induce depression. Since the development of novel approaches to
antidepressant treatment is based upon an improved
neurobiological understanding of this condition, new information
about the cellular changes that take place in the brain is
required. Depression: a growing public health burden Depression
is a chronic, recurring, multifactorial, and