Effects of chronic stress on plasticity in the visual cortex

Stress is an adaptive response of the organism in the face of external threats. Recent studies have shown that the occurrence of chronic stress, which is closely related to mood disorders and other psychiatric disorders, significantly alters the neuroplasticity of several regions of the brain, especially the visual cortex, by affecting the homeostasis of the neuroendocrine system, especially through the action of neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline and cortisol, which in turn affects the structure and function of the visual cortex and leads to abnormalities in the process of visual information processing. In this paper, we review the mechanism of chronic stress on the visual cortex, and discuss how stress regulates the function of the visual cortex through neurotransmitters, neuroendocrine regulation, and changes in synaptic plasticity, which provides new perspectives and theoretical basis for further research on the effects of stress on the nervous system, especially on the visual cortex.