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What Is Stress?

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Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space

Abstract

Stress is a word that is used throughout the world and it has many meanings. Physiologically, cortisol and adrenalin are stress hormones, and the “fight or flight” response is usually the focus of discussions of stress. But that is only part of the story. There are multiple biological mediators besides the adrenal stress hormones that are responsible for adaptation in situations that evoke the “fight or flight” response and help us stay alive, not only in our daily lives and in extreme conditions on Earth but also in Space. While these systems are critical to protect life and promote adaptation to environmental or psychological challenges, these same mediators also contribute to pathophysiology when overused and dysregulated, resulting in allostatic load and overload. This “wear and tear” on physiological systems, from the brain to the rest of the body, can accumulate, leading to significant mental and physical health problems. The goal of this chapter is to explore these systems and provide a framework for the constructive discussion and study of the complex brain-body response we term “stress.”

‘I am stressed out’ is non-accusatory, apolitical and detached. It is a good way to keep the peace and, at the same time, a low-cost way to complain.

America’s Latest Export: A Stressed-Out World. By Richard A. Shweder. Published: January 26, 1997.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA

    Bruce S. McEwen & Ilia N. Karatsoreos

  2. Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

    Bruce S. McEwen & Ilia N. Karatsoreos

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  1. Bruce S. McEwen
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  2. Ilia N. Karatsoreos
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Correspondence to Ilia N. Karatsoreos .

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  1. Laboratory of Translational Research Stress and Immunity Department of Anaesthesiology, Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany

    Alexander Choukèr

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McEwen, B.S., Karatsoreos, I.N. (2020). What Is Stress?. In: Choukèr, A. (eds) Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16996-1_4

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