Increasing resolution in stress neurobiology: from single cells to complex group behaviors

Stress can have severe psychological and physiological consequences. Thus, inappropriate regulation of the stress response is  linked to  the etiology of  mood and anxiety disorders. The generation and imple-mentation of  preclinical animal models represent valuable tools to explore and characterize the  mecha-nisms underlying the pathophysiology of  stress-related psychiatric disorders and the development of novel pharmacological strategies. In  this commentary, we discuss the  strengths and limitations of  state- of-the-art molecular and computational advances employed in  stress neurobiology research, with a focus on  the ever-increasing spatiotemporal resolution in  cell biology and behavioral science. Finally, we  share our perspective on  future directions in the  fields of  preclinical and human stress research.