ear Colleagues,In spite of its apparent simplicity,the word “stress”can convey a wide variety ofmeanings and connotations in modern psychiatry.•As a symptom,stress expresses the reaction to external circumstances (stressful events),or to internal factors (for instance when the individual’s psychological and somatic defensemechanisms are overwhelmed,such as in angina pectoris).•Stress can also be understood as a disorder.Post-traumatic stress disorder was coveredin a previous issue of Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience(DCNS Vol 2,No 1).•Stress can trigger complex psychiatric disorders (for instance,recurring episodes of amood disorder,or acute delusional episodes,etc).•Through an effect on neuroplasticity,the accumulation of stress can predispose to depres-sive disorders.The elucidation of this pathogenetic mechanism has led to new hypothe-ses and treatment options in depression.In addition to defining stress and its clinical consequences,it is also important tounderstand the biological mechanisms that are responsible for or associated with stress.Research into the etiology of stress involves genetics,and the study of structures suchas the prefrontal cortex,the amygdala,and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis,whichhave been shown to play key roles in the genesis of stress.The discovery of the interaction between the accumulation of stress and disturbancesof neuroplasticity was one of the key scientific advances in recent years,and it paved theway for the development of new hypotheses and treatment methods in depression.We felt that it was important to dedicate an issue of DCNS to the question of “stress.”This issue was coordinated by David Rubinow (University of North Carolina,USA).Weare grateful to him for bringing together such an outstanding panel of experts,and wouldlike to thank all the authors for their brilliant contributions.Sincerely yours,Jean-Paul Macher,MDMarc-Antoine Crocq,MDE d i t o r i a lD
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