Stress: Definition and history

Abstract

Stress has a different meaning for different people under different conditions. The first and most generic definition of stress was that proposed by Hans Selye: "Stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand." Other definitions have evolved to cater for different situations-for example, cognitive. This article explores the basis for these definitions and their validity, and outlines the neuroendocrine mechanisms that subserve the stress response. The concept of homeostasis, 'stability through constancy' as the main mechanism by which the body copes with stress, has given way to allostasis, 'stability through change' brought about by central neural regulation of the set points ..