How it is possible to ‘inherit stress’, according to a neurosurgeon

Can we inherit stress? A leading neurosurgeon, John Strugar, says we can.

The associate professor of neurosurgery at Yale University School of Medicine has ignited an online conversation after presenting 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 stress or trauma experienced by one generation can affect the brain development of subsequent generations.

“Have you ever thought about how stress can be passed down from generation to generation? We’ll call it the intergenerational stress wave,” said Strugar, who splits his time between Greenwich, Connecticut, and New York City.

“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 reactions.

“When a person experiences stress, the amygdala can become hyperactive, leading to strong emotional reactions 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 your grandmother was growing up during a very anxious time, perhaps she was living in Blitzkrieg London. [sic] or had a bad relationship,” he said. “Her baseline glucocorticoid levels were elevated, and those glucocorticoids easily cross the placenta and affect your mother’s developing brain.

“And the amygdala responds to elevated glucocorticoids by getting bigger,” he added.

If someone’s mother gave birth to a larger amygdala, a greater perception of threat, and a higher level of anxiety, and they went on to have children – the same process would occur during that pregnancy and their child would be born with a higher level of anxiety and stress.

This explanation is consistent with research in the field of epigenetics, which studies how environmental factors can change gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. A 2011 study published by Cell Press looked at how stress-induced changes in gene expression can be passed down from one generation to the next.

“There has been a great deal of discussion about whether the effect of stress can be transmitted to the next generation without changing the DNA sequence,” wrote Shunsuke Ishii, a molecular biologist at Japan’s RIKEN Tsukuba Institute. “Our discovery has now shown that such phenomena can indeed 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 included intracranial and spinal 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 don’t have to be all doom and gloom.

“The main thing to keep in mind is that there’s nothing genetic about it; it’s all environmental and passed down from generation to generation. Just as it started, it can also come back,” he said.

According to this logic, once someone can find ways to reduce their stress level, their amygdala “calms down”, restructures, and they are likely to minimize the stress wave being passed on to the next generation.

This perspective is echoed by Ishii, who highlighted the potential for intervention more than a decade ago.

“I hope people realize that different stresses can change gene expression without changing the DNA sequence,” he wrote in 2011.

Strugar’s findings and supporting research underscore the importance of understanding and addressing stress, not just as an individual concern, but as a multigenerational issue.

By recognizing the environmental roots of stress transmission, there is an opportunity to reverse its effects and improve health outcomes for future generations. Some users have chosen to accept this and have shared how they once tried to mitigate the effects of stress in the comments section.

“Great post,” wrote one user, @isako.8. “I had my baby listen to a lot of Mozart, Bach and Chopin in the womb. I believe in the power of classical music and wonder if it travels to the amygdala.”

Another, @jblonde08, added: “I’ve learned that keeping toxic people out of your life helps reduce stress.”

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