Rats exposed to different stressors but would have the same reaction regardless; physical stress response is non-specific and is identical within all members of a species
There are 3 distinct phases in the GAS Model; Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion
Alarm Phase - helps to cope with emergency short-term changes in our environment.
Within the Alarm Phase, there are 2 parts; the Shock and Counter Shock parts
Shock - when you are first aware of a stressor, and the ability to cope falls below normal
Counter Shock - Activation of Sympathetic Nervous System, and the release of adrenaline and cortisol
Resistance Phase - The use of max resources to cope and adapt. Physiological arousal stays above normal and Intense arousal deminishes
In Resistance, unnecessary processes shut down and cortisol enters the blood stream
Exhaustion Phase - When a stressor is not dealt with for a long period of time
Cortisol decreases Immune Responses
In the Alarm phase, Cortisol and Epinephrine start, and continue on into the Resistance phase in response to long-term stressors
During the Resistance Phase, heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension increase, immunity decreases and sugar regulation is abnormal
Exhaustion is the phase where the body cannot cope with the elevated metabolic rates anymore, resulting in different diseases and function impairments
GAS Model
Chronic Stress can affect Brain Shape, function and size
