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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Mol Med. 2020 Aug 28;26(10):953–968. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.07.002

Figure 3. Selected mechanisms by which the endocannabinoid signaling system (ECSS) affects responses to stress exposure.

Figure 3.

The green arrows indicate acute responses to stress exposure, which include activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis); activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which results in the release of norepinephrine (NE) from sympathetic terminals and epinephrine (Epi) from the adrenal medulla; and enhanced memory of the traumatic event. The gray arrows indicate some of the consequences of chronic stress exposure, including depressed mood, increased anxiety and persistent fear memories. Our current understanding of the effects of an active and engaged ECSS are indicated over the arrows.