New accents on the classical concept of stress

The evolution of H. Selye's classical concept of stress is discussed. It is shown how the general notions of stress have transformed into a concept of emotional stress as the primary emotional response of humans and animals to stressors. The leading role of conflict situations in the genesis of emotional stresses is validated in terms of P. K. Anokhin's general theory of functional systems. In contrast to H. Selye's view that the general adaptation syndrome caused by stress is nonspecific, specific manifestations of stress in the activity of various functional systems are postulated. New concepts are formulated concerning an individual approach to the investigation of various stress indicators, changes in brain functions occurring during stress (including activation of the early genes and lipid peroxidation) that give rise to psychosomatic disorders, the contribution of limbic-reticular structures to the generation of ''stagnant'' emotional excitation which underlies psychopathology, and the role of oligopeptides in the mechanisms of resistance to emotional stress.