Chronic Exposure to Stress Hormone Causes Anxiety and Depression in Mice

Neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School and its affiliate McLean Hospital have shown that long-term exposure to stress hormone in mice directly results in the anxiety that often comes with depression. After years of circumstantial evidence linking stress and depression, this evidence may be the "smoking gun" of what, for some, causes some types of mood disorders. The research appears in the April issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association.

The findings are important for understanding the causes and improving the treatment of depression. Scientists already knew that many people with depression have high levels of cortisol, a human stress hormone, but it wasn’t clear whether that was a cause or effect. Now it appears likely that long-term exposure to cortisol actually contributes to the symptoms of depression.

Read about the neurological implications of Stress, Anxiety and Depression In Mice.