Stress resilience, susceptibility traced to neurons in reward circuit

Stress resilience, susceptibility traced to neurons in reward circuit: A specific pattern of neuronal firing in a brain reward circuit instantly rendered mice vulnerable to depression-like behavior induced by acute severe stress. The same firing pattern had the opposite effect when the depression-like behaviors were induced by chronic mild stress. Split-second control of the implicated circuit, via optogenetics, showed that context -- stressor type and intensity -- is pivotal to the workings of brain rapid antidepressant mechanisms.