Chronic stress as a concept has gained significant attention over the last 20 years in the study of laboratory vertebrate model organisms and is now widely studied across many vertebrate species. Despite the increased focus, a lack of consensus on the definition of chronic stress and the methodologies used to study it remains. This Research Topic aims to gather articles that address the conceptual definitions of chronic stress in vertebrates, focusing on aspects such as duration, severity, repeatability, predictability, and controllability of experimental protocols. Additionally, it has become clear that traditional stress biomarkers, like plasma cortisol levels, may not adequately reflect chronic stress over time. This highlights the need for developing and validating new indicators of chronic stress. Moreover, individual differences in stress responses, known as coping styles or animal personalities, are well-documented within species. However, the consequences of these differences for chronic stress responses are not fully understood and require further exploration.
This Research Topic invites contributions in the form of original research, reviews, perspectives, commentaries, and opinion papers on chronic stress in vertebrates, encompassing laboratory, farmed, and wild animals. Special emphasis will be placed on:
- Conceptual definition and experimental protocols to study the effects of the duration, severity, repeatability, predictability, and controllability of chronic stress.
- Development and evaluation of novel chronic stress indicators.
- Endocrine, physiological, and behavioral responses of vertebrates to chronic stress.
- Comparative responses of vertebrates to chronic stress, including inter-specific and intra-specific differences (e.g. coping styles).
Chronic stress as a concept has gained significant attention over the last 20 years in the study of laboratory vertebrate model organisms and is now widely studied across many vertebrate species. Despite the increased focus, a lack of consensus on the definition of chronic stress and the methodologies used to study it remains. This Research Topic aims to gather articles that address the conceptual definitions of chronic stress in vertebrates, focusing on aspects such as duration, severity, repeatability, predictability, and controllability of experimental protocols. Additionally, it has become clear that traditional stress biomarkers, like plasma cortisol levels, may not adequately reflect chronic stress over time. This highlights the need for developing and validating new indicators of chronic stress. Moreover, individual differences in stress responses, known as coping styles or animal personalities, are well-documented within species. However, the consequences of these differences for chronic stress responses are not fully understood and require further exploration.
This Research Topic invites contributions in the form of original research, reviews, perspectives, commentaries, and opinion papers on chronic stress in vertebrates, encompassing laboratory, farmed, and wild animals. Special emphasis will be placed on:
- Conceptual definition and experimental protocols to study the effects of the duration, severity, repeatability, predictability, and controllability of chronic stress.
- Development and evaluation of novel chronic stress indicators.
- Endocrine, physiological, and behavioral responses of vertebrates to chronic stress.
- Comparative responses of vertebrates to chronic stress, including inter-specific and intra-specific differences (e.g. coping styles).