Stress and Disease Impact Quiz

Stress is a significant contributor to various illnesses, including mental health issues.
Stress can worsen existing symptoms and disease outcomes.

Severe emotional stress is linked to poor heart health outcomes.
Stress can impact sleep, appetite, and overall physical well-being.
Long-term stress accelerates brain aging, leading to reduced brain function and memory loss.
Stress experienced during childhood can have lasting effects on an individual's physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses to stress.
Chronic stress causes irreversible brain changes in animal studies.

Stress perception plays a crucial role in influencing stress responses.
Acute Stressors are temporary and short-lived.
Chronic Stressors are ongoing and long-lasting.
Microstressors are minor daily hassles that can accumulate and contribute to stress.

Constant exposure to novel stressors prevents the body from adapting.
The body fails to habituate to repeated stressors, leading to constant stress responses.
The stress response system can remain activated long after the stressor has passed.
The body compensates for a weak stress response by relying on other systems, leading to inefficiency and damage over time.
Increased allostatic load can weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections and diseases.
Underlying diseases may progress faster with increased allostatic load.
Chronic stress can alter brain structure and function, potentially affecting memory, cognition, and mood.

Reactive responses occur directly in response to an ongoing stressor.
Anticipatory responses occur in anticipation of a stressful event.
Conditional responses are learned and triggered by specific stimuli.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs following a traumatic event with perceived harm or threat.

The cerebral cortex determines whether a situation is stressful.
The limbic system, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, processes emotional aspects of stress.

The hippocampus is primarily associated with memory.
Its proximity to the amygdala makes it susceptible to influencing the stress response.

The hypothalamus receives stress signals from the amygdala and hippocampus.
The hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), triggering the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland.
ACTH stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol, the main stress hormone.
Stressors and CRH activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine, causing a rapid "fight-or-flight" response.
The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to release thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which causes the thyroid gland to release thyroxine (T3 and T4), important for metabolism and energy production.
The hypothalamus releases antidiuretic hormone (ADH) for water retention and oxytocin, associated with bonding and social connection.

Neurons in the limbic system activate specific regions of the brainstem.
The locus ceruleus releases norepinephrine.
Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter involved in the "fight-or-flight" response, increasing brain activity and contributing to sympathetic nervous system activation.

Cortisol elevates blood sugar levels by promoting glucose production and reducing insulin sensitivity.
Cortisol weakens the immune system by suppressing cytokine production, white blood cell activity, and antibody production.
Chronic exposure to high cortisol levels can lead to decreased tolerance for inflammation.
Wound healing is slowed due to cortisol's suppression of the inflammatory response.
Cortisol promotes fat storage, especially in the abdominal region.
Cortisol inhibits the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (estrogen), and testosterone.
Cortisol increases sympathetic nervous system activity.
Cortisol can lower serotonin levels in the brain.
Cortisol promotes stomach acid and enzyme secretion.
Cortisol enhances calcium excretion, potentially leading to bone loss.
Cortisol disrupts the sleep cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Catecholamines increase heart rate and heart muscle contraction.
Catecholamines contribute to heart muscle changes, including hypertrophy, fibrosis, and apoptosis.
These changes can lead to cardiovascular diseases like heart failure, arrhythmias, and coronary artery disease.
Catecholamines cause vasoconstriction, narrowing blood vessels.
Vasoconstriction can restrict blood flow to the limbs, leading to pain, numbness, and tissue damage.
Catecholamines elevate blood glucose.
Cortisol promotes fat breakdown, increasing free fatty acids and cholesterol in the bloodstream.
Cortisol inhibits smooth muscle contraction in the digestive tract.
Cortisol suppresses immune and inflammatory responses, affecting immune cells.