West GL, Kurdi V, Fouquet C, Schachar R, Boivin M, Hastings P, Robaey P, Bohbot VD. Differential stress response to psychological and physical stressors in children using spatial versus response-dependent navigation strategies.
COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021;
6:100043. [PMID:
35757366 PMCID:
PMC9216353 DOI:
10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100043]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work from our lab has shown that basal cortisol levels are different between healthy young adults who spontaneously use caudate nucleus-dependent response strategies compared to young adults who use hippocampus-dependent spatial navigation strategies. Young adults who use caudate nucleus dependent strategies display lower basal cortisol levels compared to those who use hippocampus-dependent strategies. In the current study, we assessed navigation strategies in children using a virtual navigation task and measured cortisol at baseline as well as cortisol reactivity to both a psychological and to a physical stressor. Replicating what is observed in adults, we found that children who used caudate nucleus-dependent navigation strategies displayed lower cortisol levels at baseline compared to those who used hippocampus-dependent strategies. The psychological stressor, knowledge that a blood draw would be performed by a nurse, caused a significant increase in cortisol uniquely in response learners. The physical stressor, the actual blood draw, produced a significant increase in cortisol amongst spatial learners that was then comparable to levels observed in response learners. Lower baseline cortisol and higher cortisol psychological stress response observed amongst children who used response strategies may therefore reflect early biological changes during development which may have an impact later in life when considering risk for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Both adults and children rely of different navigation strategies to learn new environments.
Cortisol levels differ between people dependent on spontaneous navigation strategy.
We show a differential cortisol stress response in children dependent on navigational strategy.
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