Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

The Trier Social Stress Test Protocol for Inducing Psychological Stress
Published on: October 19, 2011
Psychological Stress and Mitochondria: A Conceptual Framework.
Martin Picard1, Bruce S McEwen
1From the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine (Picard), Department of Neurology, The H. Houston Merritt Center, Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative (Picard), and Columbia Aging Center (Picard), Columbia University; and Laboratory for Neuroendocrinology (McEwen), The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
Mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, play a key role in the body's stress response by integrating psychosocial factors. This mitochondrial allostatic load links psychological experiences to physiological changes, impacting health.
Area of Science:
- Biobehavioral Medicine
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Biological, psychological, and social factors are increasingly integrated in medicine.
- Mitochondria are key organelles in energy production and stress adaptation signaling.
- Emerging concepts suggest mitochondria transduce psychosocial and behavioral factors into cellular changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for mitochondria's role in the stress response.
- To evaluate the implementation of this model in behavioral and psychosomatic medicine.
Main Methods:
- A narrative literature review was conducted.
- Evidence supporting the model of mitochondrial involvement in stress response was evaluated.
Main Results:
- Chronic psychological stress causes "mitochondrial allostatic load" through metabolic and neuroendocrine mediators.
- Mitochondrial defects are linked to psychosomatic processes, suggesting shared mechanisms.
- Mitochondrial signaling influences gene expression, epigenetics, and cellular aging.
Conclusions:
- Mitochondrial allostatic load may link psychosocial experiences to physiological changes.
- Integrating mitochondria into research offers new avenues for understanding health and well-being.
- Mitochondria are a subcellular mechanism for transducing psychosocial experiences into biological changes.
More Related Videos
05:33Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature
Published on: June 19, 2019
13:42Multi-parameter Measurement of the Permeability Transition Pore Opening in Isolated Mouse Heart Mitochondria
Published on: September 7, 2012
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Peroxisomes and Mitochondria
The peroxisome is a single membrane-bound cellular organelle that can perform several different functions, including lipid metabolism and chemical detoxification. The enzymes within...
Mitochondria
Defining Psychology
Psychology as a Science
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
Freudian Psychology