The consequences of exposure to stress on mood and substance-use regulation - A neurobiological and –epigenetic perspective

Abstract

The objective of this literature review is to investigate, on a neurobiological and cellular level, how stress can change the brain in such a way that it is more prone to depression and addiction. Some of these changes have already been associated with an epigenetic cause, however little with inherited epigenetic alterations. The first part of this review will cover some of the stress-induced neurobiological processes that are associated with synaptic and morpholoigcal changes linked to major depressive disorder and substance abuse. The second part will focus on the epigenetic mechanisms involved in these alterations and discuss the value of epigenetic research.