Investigating the role of neuronal hyperactivity in stress susceptibility and brain beta‐amyloid deposition

Both animal and human literature have suggested a relationship between stress responses and an increased susceptibility to extracellular beta‐amyloid (Aβ) plaque aggregation, one of the pathological features of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), as well as clinical symptoms of AD. Despite this evidence, a neuro‐mechanistic pathway that underlies the relationship between the psychological stress response and brain Aβ pathology remains poorly understood. We examined the hypothesis that increased stress responses are associated with neuronal hyperactivity and increased brain Aβ deposition along the spectrum of AD.