Event:

Stressful stimuli in healthy subjects trigger activation of a consistent and reproducible set of brain regions; yet, the notion that there is a single and constant stress neuromatrix is not sustainable.

Indeed, after chronic stress exposure there is activation of many brain regions outside that network. This suggests that there is a distinction between the acute- and the chronic-stress neuromatrix. Herein, a new working model is proposed to understand the shift between these networks. The understanding of the factors that modulate these dynamics and their interplay will allow for a more comprehensive and holistic perspective of how the brain shifts “back and forth” from a healthy to a stressed pattern and, ultimately, how the latter can be a trigger for several neurological and psychiatric conditions.