Can we inherit stress? A leading neurosurgeon, John Strugar, says that we can.
The associate professor of neurosurgery at Yale University's School of Medicine, has sparked conversation online after making a case for how stress can be passed down from generation to generation.
Strugar walked viewers through the concept of "intergenerational stress waves," in a social media post from April 13. The neurosurgeon detailed how the stress or trauma experienced by one generation can affect the brain development of subsequent generations to come.
"Have you ever wondered how stress can be passed on from generation to generation? We'll call it intergenerational stress waves," Strugar, who divides his time between Greenwich, Connecticut, and New York City, said.
"Stress can have a significant impact on the amygdala, which is a key part of the brain involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and stress responses.
"When a person experiences stress, the amygdala can become hyperactive, leading to heightened emotional responses and increased feelings of fear and anxiety."
The American Medical Association member elaborated on the mechanism, using a hypothetical scenario to illustrate the concept.
"Let's assume that your grandmother was growing up during a very anxious time, maybe she was living through the London Blitzkrieg [sic] or had a bad relationship," he said. "Her baseline glucocorticoid levels were elevated, and those glucocorticoids readily go across the placenta and affect your mother's developing brain.
"And the amygdala responds to elevated glucocorticoids by becoming larger," he added.
If one's mother was born was a larger amygdala, a larger threat perception, and a higher level of anxiety, and they went on to have children—the same process would happen during that pregnancy, and their child would be born with a higher level of anxiety and stress.
This explanation aligns with research in the field of epigenetics, which studies how environmental factors can alter gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. A 2011 study, published by Cell Press, looked into how stress-induced changes in gene expression can be passed from one generation to the next.
"There has been a big discussion about whether the stress effect can be transmitted to the next generation without DNA sequence change," Shunsuke Ishii, a molecular biologist at Japan's RIKEN Tsukuba Institute, wrote. "Our finding has now demonstrated that such phenomena really can occur."
Strugar's expertise in neurosurgery, which includes over 30 years of experience and fellowship training in skull base surgery, lends considerable weight to his words. His work has spanned intracranial and spine tumors, cervical and lumbar spine disorders, and brain injuries, with numerous publications and presentations to his name.
While his insights into the brain's response to stress are grounded in a deep understanding of neurosurgical and neurobiological principles, they do not have to be all doom and gloom.
"The key thing to keep in mind is that there is nothing genetic about this; this is all environmental, and it was transferred from generation to generation. Just like it initiated, it can also be reversed," he said.
By this logic, once someone can find ways to reduce their stress level, their amygdala "calms down," restructures, and they likely minimize passing the stress wave onto the next generation.
This perspective is echoed by Ishii, who highlighted the potential for intervention more than a decade earlier.
"I hope that people understand that various stresses can change gene expression without DNA sequence change," he wrote in 2011.
Strugar's revelations and the supporting research underscore the importance of understanding and addressing stress, not just as an individual concern but as a multi-generational issue.
By recognizing the environmental roots of stress transmission, there comes the potential for reversing its effects and improving health outcomes for future generations. Some users have chosen to take this on, and have shared how they once tried to mitigate the effects of stress in the comments section.
"Excellent post," one user, @isako.8, wrote. "I made my baby listen to a lot of Mozart, Bach, and Chopin in utero. I believe in the power of classical music and wonder if it travels to the amygdala."
Another, @jblonde08, added: "I have learned that keeping toxic people out of your life helps reduce stress."
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