Washington. Stress caused by various environmental factors (trauma, natural disasters, psychological stress, etc.) is considered a major risk factor for many diseases, particularly neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. A recent study, published in the Journal Molecular Psychiatry (Nature group), has shown that a single stressful event can cause long term effects in the cerebral cortex. The research was coordinated by Laura Musazzi and Maurizio Popoli from the Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan. (9Colonne)