Download Stress and Gender Differences

Gender Brain
Differences— in
Response to Stress
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
www.arlenetaylor.org
Brain References – by topic
Human Brains
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
People have been fascinated by the brain since
at least Hippocrates, the ‘Father’ of Medicine—in
this ‘the age of the brain’ we have the advantage
of emerging technology
1. Scans show us how the brain functions
2. Studies tell us how to care for the brain
3. Research explains more and more about
male-female brain differences
Stress is Living
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
www.arlenetaylor.org
The absence of stress is death
• Eustress: Positive stress helps you grow
• Distress: Negative stress to avoid
• Misstress: Hidden stress (may be missed)
Unmanaged Distress and Misstress can kill brain
cells and damage body organs
When feeling rather stressed, has anyone ever
said to you: “It’s no big deal; just get over it!”
Different Strokes for . . .
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
Stress is a relative concept as every brain is
unique: every thought changes your brain and
every brain thinks different thoughts—so you
become even more unique with age
Stress responses typically:
• Are learned (often in childhood)
• Relate to perception and flexibility
• Can be unlearned and relearned
Stress and the Brain
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
www.arlenetaylor.org
All brains need effective stress- management
strategies as unmanaged stress is lethal to both
brain and body
Effective stress-management strategies are critical
for females as their brains are twice as vulnerable
as male brains to many stress-related disorders
Researchers have discovered that the brain handles
stress differently based on gender
Molecular Psychiatry - Report
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
www.arlenetaylor.org
Statistically, women are at higher
risk for stress-related depression
and PTSD—Corticotropin Releasing
Factor or CRF, both a neurotransmitter and a
peptide hormone may be a key player
In response to a stressor, the hypothalamus
releases CRF that binds to receptors on cells
in an alarm center deep in the brainstem,
called the locus ceruleus
Female Brain and Stress
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
This release telegraphs heightened
emotional arousal throughout the brain
via the chemical messenger norepinephrine—
which influences sleep and alertness and is
believed to be correlated to the Fight-Flight
stress response.
Such hyper-arousal can be adaptive and helpful
for brief periods but not if it becomes chronic
Runaway CRF is a core feature of depression
CRF is Powerful!
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
www.arlenetaylor.org
• Can suppress appetite
• Can increase subjective anxiety
• Is linked with euphoric feelings
that accompany alcoholism
• Triggers inflammation (a process being
investigated in Multiple Sclerosis research)
• High levels have been found in the
cerebrospinal fluid of individuals who
committed suicide
Researchers Use Rats
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
www.arlenetaylor.org
Rats make good research subjects
when you can’t use human beings as
rat and human peptides are identical
Peptides, molecules consisting of 2 or more
amino acids, impact your mood; some are
hormones, others are neurotransmitters, and
some are a combination of both
Researchers recently studied how brains of
male and female rats handled stress
Female Brain – CRF
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
In the stressed female rat,
the brain acted macho—
all CRF receptors stayed
on the cell surface and
open so CRF could enter
the cell freely (metaphor: all windows are open in
your house letting in the storm easily)
This increased CRF binding heightened the
brain's stress reactivity
Male Brain - CRF
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
In the stressed male rat,
internal proteins called
arrestins (green) helped
some CRF receptors retreat
inside the cell where they
could not bind with CRF (metaphor: half the
windows in your house are closed to the storm)
This process, unique to the male brain, toneddown the neuron's stress sensitivity due to less
CRF being taken into the cell
Receptors (blue) on cell
surfaces stay open , which
increases CRF binding and
stress reactivity
Arrestins (green) help some
receptors retreat inside the
cell, which decreases CRF
binding and stress reactivity
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2010/stresshormone-receptors-less-adaptive-in-femalebrain.shtml?WT.mc_id=twitter&sms_ss=email
Female Brain
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
The female alarm system is more sensitive to
stressors and to CRF, period
Even in the absence of stressors, the female
stress signaling system is more sensitive
from the start
Debra Bangasser PhD
Lack of receptor internalization in the female
brain could translate into impaired ability to
cope with high levels of CRF — as occurs in
depression and PTSD
Different Strokes . . .
Stress is a relative concept
because every brain is unique
Stress responses are typically learned
and often relate to personal flexibility—
trees that cannot flex with the wind are at
high risk of uprooting in a storm
Brain and Stressors
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
The brain is the first body system
recognize a stressor and it
reacts with split-second timing
Can stimulate a stress response for up to 72
hours after a stress event (real or imagined) or
longer, if you keep rehearsing the event
Stressors interact with the brain in a predictable
equation
Brain-Stress Equation
Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org
20% of any negative impact to your brain and
body is due to the stressor event; 80% is due
to your perception of the event
It’s not so much what happens that matters
as what you think about what happens
—Epictetus, 2nd Century Greek Philosopher
Be anxious for nothing
—Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:6-8 NKJV
20:80 Rule
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
Only 20% of any negative effect to brain and
body is due to the event
80% is due to your perception of the event and
the weight you give to it
Even when you can’t do anything about the
20%, you can do almost everything about the
80% because you create your own perceptions
Gold Medal Moment
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
Researcher Shelley E. Taylor recommends
identifying your gold medal moment
Whenever you recognize a
stressor or perceive a negative
interpretation of the event,
recall your gold medal moment
That can help you move into the 80%
Strategies!
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Realizations Inc
Increased knowledge can trigger positive
communication and collaboration—which can be
so much fun!
• Males: know that you tend to underreact to
stressors
• Females: know that you tend to overreact to
stressors
Collaborate to find middle ground and appropriate
responses/strategies to the stressor
Tips for Coping with Stressors
Drive carefully, especially when
you are coping with stressors—
it’s not only cars that can be
recalled by their maker
Be careful what you say
during episodes of high
stress—if you can’t be kind,
be silent, or at least have the
decency to be vague
Never put both feet in your mouth
at the same time, or you won’t
have a leg to stand on
Birthdays are very good for you—
the more you have, the longer
you live so learn to enjoy them
Stop the mad competitive
rush—it’s the second mouse
that gets the cheese
Learn from crayons. Some are
sharp, some are pretty, some
are dull, some have weird
names, and all are different
colors—but they all have to
live in the same box
Sleep late whenever
possible—it’s the
early worm that gets
eaten by the bird
Accept that some days
you’re the pigeon and
some days you’re the
statue—practice laughter
on the days that you’re
the statue
The truly happy—and typically lowstress personality—is the one who can
actually enjoy the scenery on a detour