Even Little Stress Has an Effect, Study Finds

Even relatively short periods of stress may leave brain cells hypersensitive for weeks, according to a group of Israeli scientists who are studying the biological roots of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Their findings were discovered in mice and reported in the journal Science. Exposing the animals to stress caused them to produce abnormal versions of a brain protein called acetylcholinesterase, which normally helps chemical messages jump between neurons.

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Compiled by Times science writer Usha Lee McFarling