Study Explains Why Stress Makes Us Grumpy and Irritated

Research explains why stress can be so draining emotionally and mentally.

Stress can make people moody and act really difficult. It clouds one's ability to think rationally. Recent research by scientists from the Brain Mind Institute in Lausanne, Switzerland, discovered a mechanism that triggers mood fluctuations and impairs social and cognitive skills at the time of stress. The experts observed hippocampus, a brain region associated with behavior and cognitive skills in rats and specifically examined the reactions caused by a molecule called nectin-3 cell adhesion protein (NMDA). These molecules serve as a connection between two brain neurons to ensure the synapses function normally, reports Express.Co.UK.

At the time of stress, the presence of molecules drastically declined affecting the synapse role of an enzyme known as MMP-9. Stress also hiked up the release of glutamate, another molecule that acts as a NMDA receptor and is also related to synaptic plasticity and memory. This in turn impacts one's memory, ability to understand , reason and social behavior.

To confirm these results, the research team collaborated with Polish neuroscientists and noted that upon restoring NMDA, the rats regained their lost cognitive and social skills.

"The identification of this mechanism is important because it suggests potential treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders related to chronic stress, particularly depression," said Carmen Sandi, study author and researcher at the Brain Mind Institute in a news release.

The authors believe these findings help detect new ways to treat stress and neurodegenerative diseases like epilepsy.

"This result opens new research avenues on the still unknown consequences of chronic stress," adds Sandi.

More information is available online in the journal Nature Communications.