It is helpful to learn more about how the body deals with anxiety to gain a better understanding of how stress can become a problem. Most people get anxious from time to time. However, for some who have suffered damage to specific parts of the cerebrum, the problem may be more severe and unable to be properly controlled.

Dealing with Stress

The brain produces a hormone called cortisol as a reaction to stress. This hormone is helpful in the short-term but can actually be dangerous when too much is produced. A study using rats found that those who were given daily injections of cortisol for a few weeks resulted in damage or death of some types of brain cells. Putting the rats under anxiety for the same length of time produced the same results. The area of the brain that is responsible for episodic memory, the hippocampus, can be damaged by excess cortisol. Additionally, chronic anxiety might result in premature aging.

Yale University researchers completed a study about stress. Their research shows that some people respond better to stressful situations than others. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is the area in the brain that processes risk and emotional response. In people with normal responses, the area bounced back quickly after exposure to stressful situations.

Others did not cope as well. In these people, the response was hyperactive, and the person’s brain took too long to return to normal. This means that the reaction to stress might be, at least in part, physiological. More studies are needed to find out details, and the information could be used in the development of advanced treatments. Additionally, those with poor reactions could be identified so that better coping skills and treatments could be provided.

Stress and Depression

When stress becomes chronic, it may lead to depression. As with anxiety depression causes the release of too much cortisol. In addition, changes to neurotransmitters and serotonin may be due to a response to stress. Thus, those who have damage to this area of the brain could be plagued by both stress and depression. The body is able to generate new cells, but the production is reduced when excess cortisol is released.

Babies who suffered permanent damage due at birth could have a more difficult time dealing with stress. They may also have difficulties with other emotions as well. If oxygen was lost during labor or delivery, important cells may have died. The damage could be permanent.

This depends on where their original damage occurred as well as how severe it was. Diagnostic testing such as an MRI may be used to see exactly where the injury occurred. In some cases, medication may be possible to improve function. Anxiety and depression can occur at any time after the original incident. Parents of children with birth injuries may want to watch to see whether their baby is not responding well to stressful situations. If not, parents will want to discuss the situation with their child’s doctor.