Washington, March 3 : Conducting experiments on mice, scientists in Canada have identified a novel mechanism whereby the brain responds to stress.
University of Calgary scientist Dr. Jaideep Bains, along with is researcher colleagues at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, have found that neurons in the hypothalamus-the brain's command centre for stress responses-interpret "off" chemical signals as "on" chemical signals when stress is perceived.
"It's as if the brakes in your car are now acting to speed up the vehicle, rather than slow it down," Nature magazine quoted Bains as saying.