Stress and plasticity in the limbic system.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic and neurobiological literature without systematic search methodology.
PubMed 14584827 · doi:10.1023/a:1026021307833
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes literature examining how stress alters plasticity in the adult limbic system, focusing specifically on hippocampal-dependent explicit learning and amygdala-dependent implicit fear conditioning across different intensities and durations of stress.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values or statistical outcomes. It notes that severe or prolonged stress impairs hippocampal-dependent explicit learning and underlying plasticity, mild and transient stress facilitates this plasticity, and various stressors enhance implicit fear conditioning and amygdaloid plasticity.
Why it matters
It highlights that stress modulates neural plasticity in a region- and severity-dependent manner rather than exerting uniform suppressive effects across the brain.
Limits
This is a narrative review with no systematic search methodology, meta-analysis, or primary human clinical data provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Mild to moderate cortisol levels enhance synaptic plasticity and brain cell communication, whereas very high sustained cortisol levels cause synaptic pruning and neurotoxicity in the hippocampus.