Large-scale network balances in the transition from adaptive to maladaptive stress responses

The stress response allows effective handling of threats, but can become maladaptive in vulnerable individuals causing anxiety. While research so far focused on individual brain regions, the field of human cognitive neuroscience emphasizes a brain organization in large-scale networks that support unique, broad cognitive domains. When threatened the balance between the salience and the executive control network is temporarily shifted towards the salience network allowing individuals to respond adequately, and re-balanced afterwards under the influence of glucocorticoids. Here we explore how risk factors like gender, early life adversity and genetics (5-HTTLPR) affect glucocorticoid release and associated network re-balancing. These risk factors set the balance towards the salience network, leading to insufficient matching to environmental demands and thereby anxiety.