Ask Dr. Nick
On today’s episode, Dr. Nick talks about why people can have different responses to the same stressors. In the hectic world we live in, everyone has stress; however, people can respond very differently to the same stressor. This individual variation can cause some people to develop mental disorders like anxiety, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There are many brain areas that receive environmental and physiological triggers. These together help initiate the stress response of increased heart rate, facial flushing, and feeling of panic. However, one brain area in particular has been hypothesized to integrate these triggers and coordinate an appropriate response through the other brain areas. This area is the cerebellum, which is usually associated with coordination of movement but more recently has become of interest in its cognitive and emotional role. Check out the video for more in depth information on how the cerebellum can properly coordinate behavioral responses to stress and hence lead to individual variation among people!
Moreno-Rius J. The cerebellum under stress. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2019;54:100774.
