ABSTRACT
Considerable changes in mood and behavior are induced by stress, but their underlying physiological basis is still obscure. This is partly due to the variety of substances released by stress in the brain itself, or into the circulation, many of which can alter neural function (De Wied & Jolies, 1982). In seeking the particular agent(s) most likely to be responsible, it is necessary to find those agents that can disturb the delicate balance of neural excitation and inhibition that characterizes normal brain function. At the therapeutic level this notion is familiar from the use of pharmacological agents that restore this balance and so relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, in the context of stress, one is seeking anxiogenic substances that can act in a manner opposite to that of the tranquilizing drugs.
