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Victor TS, Jacquet B, El Massioui F. Exploring stress response's role in executive function impairments among adults with early adverse childhood experiences. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4081. [PMID: 38374227 PMCID: PMC10876952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53819-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are recognised as precursors to numerous physical and mental health challenges. However, research on their impact on inhibitory control and working memory, particularly among healthy young adults, remains limited. The role played by the stress response as a moderator in these effects is likewise underexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining cognitive impairments in non-clinical adults with early childhood trauma, specifically trauma before the age of 13 years, and by assessing the influence of the stress response on these effects. A total of 15 participants with early ACEs were compared with a control group (n = 18) using the Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBTT) and Stroop Word Colour Test (SCWT). Results showed that participants with early ACEs exhibited lower scores on the SCWT but not the CBTT. The stress response emerged as a potential factor in the relationship between early ACEs and cognitive performance. The implications of these findings are then discussed in relation to the existing literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taïna Steevine Victor
- Université Paris 8, UFR Psychologie, 93200, Saint-Denis, France.
- Laboratoire Cognition Humaine et Artificielle (CHArt, RNSR 200515259U), 93322, Aubervilliers, France.
| | - Baptiste Jacquet
- Université Paris 8, UFR Psychologie, 93200, Saint-Denis, France
- Laboratoire Cognition Humaine et Artificielle (CHArt, RNSR 200515259U), 93322, Aubervilliers, France
| | - Farid El Massioui
- Université Paris 8, UFR Psychologie, 93200, Saint-Denis, France
- Laboratoire Cognition Humaine et Artificielle (CHArt, RNSR 200515259U), 93322, Aubervilliers, France
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2
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Almarzouki AF. Stress, working memory, and academic performance: a neuroscience perspective. Stress 2024; 27:2364333. [PMID: 38910331 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2364333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The relationship between stress and working memory (WM) is crucial in determining students' academic performance, but the interaction between these factors is not yet fully understood. WM is a key cognitive function that is important for learning academic skills, such as reading, comprehension, problem-solving, and math. Stress may negatively affect cognition, including WM, via various mechanisms; these include the deleterious effect of glucocorticoids and catecholamines on the structure and function of brain regions that are key for WM, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. This review explores the mechanisms underlying how stress impacts WM and how it can decrease academic performance. It highlights the importance of implementing effective stress-management strategies to protect WM function and improve academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer F Almarzouki
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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3
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Bates MLS, Arner JR, Curtis AL, Valentino R, Bhatnagar S. Sex-specific alterations in corticotropin-releasing factor regulation of coerulear-cortical network activity. Neuropharmacology 2023; 223:109317. [PMID: 36334761 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC)-norepinephrine system is a stress responsive system that regulates arousal and cognitive functions through extensive projections, including to the prefrontal cortex. LC-cortical circuits are activated by stressors, and this activation is thought to contribute to stress-induced impairments in executive function. Because corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a mediator of stress-induced LC activation, we examined the effects of CRF administered into the LC of male and female rats on network activity of two functionally distinct regions of the PFC, the medial PFC (mPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Network activity, measured as local field potentials, was recorded in awake animals before and after intra-LC infusion of aCSF or CRF (2 or 20 ng). CRF had qualitatively distinct effects on network activity in males and females with respect to dose, region and timecourse. CRF (20 ng) produced a prominent theta oscillation (7-9 Hz) selectively in female rats shortly after LC infusion and 20 min later. In contrast, in male rats, CRF (2 and 20 ng) decreased the amplitude of power in the 4-6 Hz range in the mPFC 10 min after injection. Lastly, CRF (20 ng) increased mPFC-OFC coherence in females and decreased mPFC-OFC coherence in males. In sum, these results show sex differences in CRF modulation of the LC-norepinephrine system that regulates prefrontal cortical networks, which may underlie sex differences in cognitive and behavioral responses to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Shawn Bates
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Chico, 400 W. First St, Chico, CA, 95929, USA
| | - Jay R Arner
- Division of Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Abramson Research Center, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Andre L Curtis
- Division of Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Abramson Research Center, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Rita Valentino
- Division of Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Abramson Research Center, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Seema Bhatnagar
- Division of Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Abramson Research Center, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
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4
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Bahr MH, Elgamel AF, Ahmed AG, Abdelkader M. Early Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in Women Undergoing Elective and Emergent Caesarian Section under General Anaesthesia: A Comparative Study. Anesth Pain Med 2022; 12:e131475. [PMID: 36937083 PMCID: PMC10016137 DOI: 10.5812/aapm-131475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) following cesarean section (CS) is a growing and underestimated problem with unknown mechanisms. Studies suggest that general anesthesia (GA) plays a role in the development of early POCD. Objectives This study aimed to assess the incidence of early POCD after elective and emergent CS under GA. Methods We assessed the difference between the elective and emergent groups regarding the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), hemodynamic effects such as mean blood pressure (MBP), and heart rate (HR). Paired t-test was applied for intragroup comparison, and Student's t-test (or Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate) for intergroup comparison. Results MMSE one hour after the operation was significantly lower than preoperative MMSE in the emergent group, and the MMSE tended to return to normal values faster in the elective than in the emergent group. Moreover, we found a significantly lower MBP and higher HR (at 15, 30, and 45 minutes) in both groups compared to preoperative values. Regarding intergroup comparison, MBP (at 30 minutes) significantly decreased in the elective group compared to the emergent group. Conclusions There was a significantly lower POCD, especially at the first hour postoperatively, in the elective CS than in the emergent CS. Elective CS might have a positive effect on the women's health as a mode of delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Hussein Bahr
- Faculty of Medicine, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt
- Corresponding Author: Faculty of Medicine, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt.
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5
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Dimitrov-Discher A, Wenzel J, Kabisch N, Hemmerling J, Bunz M, Schöndorf J, Walter H, Veer IM, Adli M. Residential green space and air pollution are associated with brain activation in a social-stress paradigm. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10614. [PMID: 35739150 PMCID: PMC9226020 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14659-z] [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: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the influence of three major environmental variables at the place of residence as potential moderating variables for neurofunctional activation during a social-stress paradigm. Data from functional magnetic resonance imaging of 42 male participants were linked to publicly accessible governmental databases providing information on amount of green space, air pollution, and noise pollution. We hypothesized that stress-related brain activation in regions important for emotion regulation were associated positively with green space and associated negatively with air pollution and noise pollution. A higher percentage of green space was associated with stronger parietal and insular activation during stress compared with that in the control condition. More air pollution was associated with weaker activation in the same (but also extended) brain regions. These findings may serve as an important reference for future studies in the emerging field of “neuro-urbanism” and emphasize the importance of environmental factors in urban planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Dimitrov-Discher
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Julia Wenzel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadja Kabisch
- Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Schneiderberg 50, 30167, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Hemmerling
- Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maxie Bunz
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Section of Environmental Health and Health Risk Assessment, German Environment Agency, Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Schöndorf
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mazda Adli
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Center for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Fliedner Klinik Berlin, Markgrafenstrasse 34, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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6
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Does older adults' cognition particularly suffer from stress? A systematic review of acute stress effects on cognition in older age. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:583-602. [PMID: 34896431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This literature review provides the first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative systematic synthesis of acute laboratory stress effects on older adults' cognition by specifying the direction and magnitude of those effects both overall and for different cognitive processes separately. A systematic literature search was performed, and effect sizes estimated whenever possible. We found meta-analytical evidence that stress has negative effects on older adults' verbal fluency (gadj = -0.53, 95 % CI [-2.70, 1.63]), null-to-negative effects on episodic memory (gadj = -0.26, 95 % CI [-0.44, -0.08]), null effects on executive functions (gadj = 0.07, 95 % CI [-0.31, 0.46]), and enhancing effects on working memory (gadj = 0.16, 95 % CI [-0.01, 0.33]). Relating these findings to those in young adults, notable differences emerged for some cognitive functions, such as opposing effects on working memory between age groups. Our review further reveals that stress effects on older adults' memory retention, associative memory, prospective memory, interference control or cognitive flexibility are heavily understudied. We provide a conceptual and methodological framework for future studies in older adults.
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7
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McManus E, Talmi D, Haroon H, Muhlert N. Psychosocial stress has weaker than expected effects on episodic memory and related cognitive abilities: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:1099-1113. [PMID: 34748879 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The impact of stress on episodic memory and related cognitive abilities is well documented in both animal and human literature. However, it is unclear whether the same cognitive effects result from all forms of stress - in particular psychosocial stress. This review systematically explored the effects of psychosocial stress on episodic memory and associated cognitive abilities. PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases were searched. Fifty-one studies were identified and compared based on the timing of stress induction. A small positive effect of post-learning psychosocial stress with a long retention interval was shown. No other effects of psychosocial stress were seen. Re-analysis of previous meta-analyses also showed no significant effect of psychosocial stress on episodic memory, highlighting potentially different effects between stressor types. Psychosocial stress also had a moderately different effect when emotional vs. neutral stimuli were compared. Finally, psychosocial stress also decreased performance on executive function, but not working memory tasks. Our findings demonstrate that psychosocial stress may not have the clear effects on episodic memory previously ascribed to it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth McManus
- Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Deborah Talmi
- Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, UK
| | - Hamied Haroon
- Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Nils Muhlert
- Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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8
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Executive functioning as a predictor of physiological and subjective acute stress responses in non-clinical adult populations: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1096-1115. [PMID: 34562543 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate whether executive functioning predicts subsequent acute stress responses. A systematic search (conducted between May 22nd and 30th, 2019; updated on April 4th, 2020) on Cochrane, OpenGray, Proquest Dissertations and Thesis Global, PsycInfo, Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science revealed 27 correlational and five interventional studies. For quality appraisal, we used the BIOCROSS Tool, the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies, and the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-bias Tool for Randomized Trials. Attentional control was most consistently associated with acute stress. A robust variation estimation meta-analysis, conducted when sufficient data was available, revealed a small, significant, and negative correlation between higher working memory and subsequent lower cortisol reactivity (r = .09, p = .025, 95 % CI [0.15, 0.02]). These results highlight the role of executive functioning for acute stress responses, the scarcity of relevant data, and the need for both interventional designs and the consideration of mediators and moderators to understand underlying mechanisms.
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9
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Palamarchuk IS, Vaillancourt T. Mental Resilience and Coping With Stress: A Comprehensive, Multi-level Model of Cognitive Processing, Decision Making, and Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:719674. [PMID: 34421556 PMCID: PMC8377204 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.719674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aversive events can evoke strong emotions that trigger cerebral neuroactivity to facilitate behavioral and cognitive shifts to secure physiological stability. However, upon intense and/or chronic exposure to such events, the neural coping processes can be maladaptive and disrupt mental well-being. This maladaptation denotes a pivotal point when psychological stress occurs, which can trigger subconscious, "automatic" neuroreactivity as a defence mechanism to protect the individual from potential danger including overwhelming unpleasant feelings and disturbing or threatening thoughts.The outcomes of maladaptive neural activity are cognitive dysfunctions such as altered memory, decision making, and behavior that impose a risk for mental disorders. Although the neurocognitive phenomena associated with psychological stress are well documented, the complex neural activity and pathways related to stressor detection and stress coping have not been outlined in detail. Accordingly, we define acute and chronic stress-induced pathways, phases, and stages in relation to novel/unpredicted, uncontrollable, and ambiguous stressors. We offer a comprehensive model of the stress-induced alterations associated with multifaceted pathophysiology related to cognitive appraisal and executive functioning in stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna S Palamarchuk
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tracy Vaillancourt
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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10
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Stress effects on cognitive function in patients with major depressive disorder: Does childhood trauma play a role? Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:1007-1016. [PMID: 31366417 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579419000932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Impaired cognitive functioning constitutes an important symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD), potentially associated with elevated cortisol levels. Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) enhance the risk for MDD and can contribute to disturbances in the stress systems, including cortisol and cognitive functions. In healthy participants, cortisol administration as well as acute stress can affect cognitive performance. In the current study, we tested cognitive performance in MDD patients with (N = 32) and without (N = 52) ACE and healthy participants with (N = 22) and without (N = 37) ACE after psychosocial stress induction (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) and a control condition (Placebo-TSST). MDD predicted lower performance in verbal learning and both selective and sustained attention, while ACE predicted lower performance in psychomotoric speed and working memory. There were no interaction effects of MDD and ACE. After stress, MDD patients were more likely to show lower performance in working memory as well as in selective and sustained attention compared with participants without MDD. Individuals with ACE were more likely to show lower performance in verbal memory after stress compared with individuals without ACE. Our results indicate negative effects of MDD and ACE on distinct cognitive domains. Furthermore, MDD and/or ACE seem to enhance susceptibility for stress-related cognitive impairments.
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11
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Gaillard A, Fehring DJ, Rossell SL. A systematic review and meta-analysis of behavioural sex differences in executive control. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:519-542. [PMID: 32844505 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Literature investigating whether an individuals' sex affects their executive control abilities and performance on cognitive tasks in a normative population has been contradictory and inconclusive. Using meta-analytic procedures (abiding by PRISMA guidelines), this study attempts to identify the magnitude of behavioural sex differences in three prominent executive control domains of cognitive set-shifting, performance monitoring, and response inhibition. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched. Across 46 included studies, a total of 1988 females and 1884 males were included in the analysis. Overall, males and females did not differ on performance in any of the three domains of performance monitoring, response inhibition, or cognitive set-shifting. Task-specific sex differences were observed in the domains of performance monitoring, in the CANTAB Spatial Working Memory task-males scored statistically higher than females (Hedges' g = -0.60), and response inhibition, in the Delay Discounting task-females scored statistically higher than males (Hedges' g = 0.64). While the meta-analysis did not detect overall behavioural sex differences in executive control, significant heterogeneity and task-specific sex differences were found. To further understand sex differences within these specific tasks and domains, future research must better control for age and sex hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gaillard
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel J Fehring
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.,Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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12
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Zhu Y, Wang Y, Yang Z, Wang L, Hu X. Endogenous cortisol-related alterations of right anterior insula functional connectivity under acute stress. J Affect Disord 2020; 274:231-238. [PMID: 32469811 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have suggested that the right anterior insula (rAI) plays a vital role in salience processing and stress-related disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between rAI functional connectivity changes and individual differences in cortisol responses after acute stress, in order to provide insights into psychiatric illness vulnerabilities. METHODS Thirty-five young men were enrolled in a randomized, counterbalanced two-session study, with aversive movie clip combined with electrical shocks as stress stimulation and the neutral movie clip as control stimulation. Resting-state fMRI data was acquired after movie exposure. The rAI was chosen as seed for functional connectivity analysis. We then examined the effect of acute stress on rAI functional connectivity and its association with individuals' cortisol response. RESULTS We found decreased rAI functional connectivity in the fronto-parietal regions, but increased functional connectivity in the visual and somatosensory areas following acute stress. Moreover, stress-induced cortisol response was significantly positively correlated with the rAI functional connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex, and negatively correlated with the orbital-frontal cortex, lingual gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus. LIMITATIONS Only young Chinese males without any trauma experience were recruited in this study. CONCLUSIONS The results suggested tight link between specific rAI functional connectivity alterations and individual stress reactivity, which may help elucidate the potential neurobiological mechanism underlying vulnerability to stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Zhu
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China; Institute of Military Cognition and Brain Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Yituo Wang
- Department of Radiology, Seventh Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Zheng Yang
- Institute of Military Cognition and Brain Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Lubin Wang
- Institute of Military Cognition and Brain Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China.
| | - Xiangjun Hu
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China.
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13
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Pulopulos MM, Schmausser M, De Smet S, Vanderhasselt MA, Baliyan S, Venero C, Baeken C, De Raedt R. The effect of HF-rTMS over the left DLPFC on stress regulation as measured by cortisol and heart rate variability. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104803. [PMID: 32526225 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex, and especially the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), plays an inhibitory role in the regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis under stressful situations. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that a sustained DLPFC activation is associated with adaptive stress regulation in anticipation of a stressful event, leading to a reduced stress-induced amygdala response, and facilitating the confrontation with the stressor. However, studies using experimental manipulation of the activity of the DLPFC before a stressor are scarce, and more research is needed to understand the specific role of this brain area in the stress-induced physiological response. This pre-registered study investigated the effect on stress regulation of a single excitatory high frequency (versus sham) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) session over the left DLPFC applied before the Trier Social Stress Test in 75 healthy young women (M = 21.05, SD = 2.60). Heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary cortisol were assessed throughout the experimental protocol. The active HF-rTMS and the sham group showed a similar cognitive appraisal of the stress task. No differences in HRV were observed during both the anticipation and the actual confrontation with the stress task and therefore, our results did not reflect DLPFC-related adaptive anticipatory adjustments. Importantly, participants in the active HF-rTMS group showed a lower cortisol response to stress. The effect of left prefrontal HF-rTMS on the stress system provides further critical experimental evidence for the inhibitory role played by the DLPFC in the regulation of the HPA axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Maximilian Schmausser
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Stefanie De Smet
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Belgium
| | - Shishir Baliyan
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain
| | - César Venero
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brussels (UZBrussel), Belgium; Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
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14
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Abstract
Acute stress and chronic stress change the physiology and function of the individual. As one facet, stress and its neuroendocrine correlates - with glucocorticoids in particular - modulate memory in a concerted action. With respect to working memory, impairing effects of acute stress and increased levels of glucocorticoids could be expected, but empirical evidence on moderating effects of cortisol on working memory is ambiguous in human studies. In the current study, we thus aimed to investigate cortisol stress responses and memory performance. Older men and women (32 men, 43 women, aged 61-67 years) underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and performed the 2-back task before and after exposure to acute stress. In line with theoretical assumptions, we found that higher cortisol stress responses led to a decline of working memory performance in men. However, the opposite was evident for women, who appeared to benefit from higher stress responses. This effect was evident for accuracy, but not for reaction time. In conclusion, cortisol might mediate working memory alterations with stress in a sex-specific manner in older people. Possible mechanisms and causes for these sex differences put a focus on endocrine changes in the aging population that might lead to differential effects across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Luers
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Malgorzata Schloeffel
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.,Section of Health Care Research and Rehabilitation Research, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jens C Prüssner
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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15
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Lin L, Leung AW, Wu J, Zhang L. Individual differences under acute stress: Higher cortisol responders performs better on N-back task in young men. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 150:20-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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16
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Degroote C, Schwaninger A, Heimgartner N, Hedinger P, Ehlert U, Wirtz PH. Acute Stress Improves Concentration Performance. Exp Psychol 2020; 67:88-98. [DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Acute stress can have both detrimental and beneficial effects on cognitive processing, but effects on concentration performance remain unclear. Here, we investigate the effects of acute psychosocial stress on concentration performance and possible underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms. The study sample comprised 47 healthy male participants who were randomly assigned either to a psychosocial stress situation (Trier Social Stress Test) or a neutral control task. Concentration performance was assessed using the d2 Test of Attention before and 30 min after the stress or control task. Salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase were repeatedly measured before and up to 1 hr after stress. We repeatedly assessed state anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and anticipatory cognitive stress appraisal using the Primary Appraisal Secondary Appraisal questionnaire. The stress group showed a significantly stronger improvement of concentration performance compared to the control group ( p = .042). Concentration performance improvement was predicted by increased state anxiety ( p = .020) and lower cortisol (stress) changes ( p = .043). Neither changes in alpha-amylase nor cognitive stress appraisal did relate to concentration performance. Our results show improved concentration performance after acute psychosocial stress induction that was predicted by higher state anxiety increases and lower cortisol increases. This points to a potential modulating role of specific psycho-emotional and physiological factors with opposite effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Degroote
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Adrian Schwaninger
- School of Applied Psychology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Olten, Switzerland
- Center for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nadja Heimgartner
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrik Hedinger
- Clienia Littenheid AG, Private Hospital for Psychiatric and Psychotherapy, Littenheid, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Ehlert
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra H. Wirtz
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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17
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Gao N, Eissenstat SJ, Giacobbe G. Poor physical health: A major barrier to employment among individuals with serious mental illness. JOURNAL OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION 2020. [DOI: 10.3233/jvr-191063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ni Gao
- Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - SunHee J. Eissenstat
- Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Giovanna Giacobbe
- Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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18
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Pulopulos MM, Baeken C, De Raedt R. Cortisol response to stress: The role of expectancy and anticipatory stress regulation. Horm Behav 2020; 117:104587. [PMID: 31639385 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
An exacerbated physiological response to stress is associated with the development of stress-related disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety disorders). Recently, it has been proposed that individuals with high expectancies of being able to deal with stressful situations will activate regulatory mechanisms during the anticipation of the stressful event that would improve stress regulation. To test this hypothesis, 52 women in young adulthood (M = 21.06; SD = 2.58) anticipated and performed a laboratory-based stress task after receiving positive or negative bogus feedback on their abilities to deal with stressful events. Heart rate variability and salivary cortisol were assessed throughout the experimental protocol. Participants receiving positive bogus feedback (i.e., High Expectancy group) showed a more positive anticipatory cognitive stress appraisal (i.e., they anticipated the stress task as less threatening/challenging, and they perceived that they were more able to deal with it), and they showed a lower cortisol response to stress. Moreover, a more positive anticipatory cognitive stress appraisal was associated with better anticipatory stress regulation (indexed as less decrease in heart rate variability), leading to a lower cortisol response. Our results indicate that people with positive expectancy initiate mechanisms of anticipatory stress regulation that enhance the regulation of the physiological stress response. Expectancy and anticipatory stress regulation may be key mechanisms in the development and treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZBrussel), Brussels, Belgium; Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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19
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Martens MAG, Antley A, Freeman D, Slater M, Harrison PJ, Tunbridge EM. It feels real: physiological responses to a stressful virtual reality environment and its impact on working memory. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1264-1273. [PMID: 31294651 PMCID: PMC6764008 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119860156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used to study and treat psychiatric disorders. Its fidelity depends in part on the extent to which the VR environment provides a convincing simulation, for example whether a putatively stressful VR situation actually produces a stress response. METHODS We studied the stress response in 28 healthy men exposed either to a stressor VR elevator (which simulated travelling up the outside of a tall building and culminated in the participant being asked to step off the elevator platform), or to a control elevator. We measured psychological and physiological (salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase, blood pressure, pulse, skin conductance) stress indices. We also measured subsequent performance on the N-back task because acute stress has been reported to impact on working memory. RESULTS Compared to participants in the control elevator, those in the external elevator had increases in skin conductance, pulse and subjective stress and anxiety ratings, altered heart rate variability, and a delayed rise in cortisol. N-back performance was unaffected. CONCLUSIONS A putatively stressful VR elevator produces a physiological as well as a psychological stress response, supporting its use in the investigation and treatment of stress-related disorders, and its potential value as an experimental laboratory stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke AG Martens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of
Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust,
Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Angus Antley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of
Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust,
Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel Freeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of
Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust,
Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Mel Slater
- Department of Clinical Psychology and
Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of
Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust,
Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Tunbridge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of
Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust,
Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK,Elizabeth M Tunbridge, University Department
of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
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20
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Gaillard C, Guillod M, Ernst M, Torrisi S, Federspiel A, Schoebi D, Recabarren RE, Ouyang X, Mueller-Pfeiffer C, Horsch A, Homan P, Wiest R, Hasler G, Martin-Soelch C. Striatal responsiveness to reward under threat-of-shock and working memory load: A preliminary study. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01397. [PMID: 31557426 PMCID: PMC6790302 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Reward and stress are important determinants of motivated behaviors. Striatal regions play a crucial role in both motivation and hedonic processes. So far, little is known on how cognitive effort interacts with stress to modulate reward processes. This study examines how cognitive effort (load) interacts with an unpredictable acute stressor (threat-of-shock) to modulate motivational and hedonic processes in healthy adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS A reward task, involving stress with unpredictable mild electric shocks, was conducted in 23 healthy adults aged 20-37 (mean age: 24.7 ± 0.9; 14 females) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Manipulation included the use of (a) monetary reward for reinforcement, (b) threat-of-shock as the stressor, and (c) a spatial working memory task with two levels of difficulty (low and high load) for cognitive load. Reward-related activation was investigated in a priori three regions of interest, the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), caudate nucleus, and putamen. RESULTS During anticipation, threat-of-shock or cognitive load did not affect striatal responsiveness to reward. Anticipated reward increased activation in the ventral and dorsal striatum. During feedback delivery, both threat-of-shock and cognitive effort modulated striatal activation. Higher working memory load blunted NAcc responsiveness to reward delivery, while stress strengthened caudate nucleus reactivity regardless reinforcement or load. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide initial evidence that both stress and cognitive load modulate striatal responsiveness during feedback delivery but not during anticipation in healthy adults. Of clinical importance, sustained stress exposure might go along with dysregulated arousal, increasing therefore the risk for the development of maladaptive incentive-triggered motivation. This study brings new insight that might help to build a framework to understand common stress-related disorders, given that these psychiatric disorders involve disturbances of the reward system, cognitive deficits, and abnormal stress reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudie Gaillard
- IReach Lab, Unit of Clinical and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Guillod
- IReach Lab, Unit of Clinical and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Monique Ernst
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Salvatore Torrisi
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Andrea Federspiel
- Psychiatric Neuroimaging Unit, Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Schoebi
- Unit of Clinical Family Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Romina E Recabarren
- IReach Lab, Unit of Clinical and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Xinyi Ouyang
- iBM Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Mueller-Pfeiffer
- Department of Consultation-Liaison-Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Antje Horsch
- Department Woman-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Homan
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, New York, NY
| | - Roland Wiest
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Hasler
- Unit of Psychiatry Research, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Martin-Soelch
- IReach Lab, Unit of Clinical and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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21
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Wunsch K, Meier M, Ueberholz L, Strahler J, Kasten N. Acute psychosocial stress and working memory performance: the potential of physical activity to modulate cognitive functions in children. BMC Pediatr 2019; 19:271. [PMID: 31382947 PMCID: PMC6683391 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-019-1637-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Research suggests that physical activity (PA) enhances cognitive performance and prevents stress-related impairments of higher order cognitive functions like working memory (WM) performance. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of PA on WM performance after acute stress exposure in preadolescent children. Methods Regular PA was assessed for seven consecutive days during a typical school week using accelerometers in a sample of 44 preadolescent children (14 girls, Mage = 11.29 years, SDage = 0.67). Following this period, participants performed an automated operational span (OSPAN) task immediately after being exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C). Results Children exhibited prototypical response slopes in salivary cortisol and salivary α-amylase as markers of the endocrine and autonomic stress response immediately after psychosocial stress induction. A subsequent two-way ANOVA comparing high- and low-stress responders revealed a significant interaction between group affiliation and PA level on WM performance for both stress markers. Interestingly, best WM performance was demonstrated in children showing both high PA levels and high cortisol (or low α-amylase, respectively) stress responses. Conclusions Though patterns differed for salivary cortisol and salivary α-amylase, overall findings suggest that PA buffers the negative effects of stress on cognitive performance in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Wunsch
- Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, Building 40.40, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. .,Department of Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Maria Meier
- Department of Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Lea Ueberholz
- Department of Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Safety and Quality Regulations, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Jana Strahler
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nadine Kasten
- Department of Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
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22
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Kan Y, Duan H, Chen X, Wang X, Xue W, Hu W. Attentional blink affected by acute stress in women: The role of affective stimuli and attentional resources. Conscious Cogn 2019; 75:102796. [PMID: 31374428 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.102796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The role of attentional resources and affective stimuli on temporal selective attention in the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm under acute stress was explored among women. Seventy-three female undergraduates were randomly assigned to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) group or control group. We found that when the first target was negative, stress increased its accuracy. Stress promoted the recognition of neutral target two (T2) only at lag2, and there was no interaction with theemotionality of target one (T1). In addition, the accumulated effect of stress enhanced temporal selective attention, predominately 20-40 min after the TSST task; cortisol concentration during this time period could significantly predict AB task performance. In summary, when attentional resources were severely insufficient, individuals under stress were more able to focus on the current target; that is, stress facilitated selective attention. A novel result was that participants were exempt from the affective influence of previous targets, which may have been caused by activation of the autonomic nervous system and gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuecui Kan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China; School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haijun Duan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Xitong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuewei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenlong Xue
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Weiping Hu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Towards Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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23
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Physical Activity versus Psychological Stress: Effects on Salivary Cortisol and Working Memory Performance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 55:medicina55050119. [PMID: 31052284 PMCID: PMC6572132 DOI: 10.3390/medicina55050119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objective: The present study was designed to investigate whether acute physical activity and psychological stress produce different effects on cortisol release and working memory performance. Materials and Methods: Male subjects (N = 12; 18–35 years) were recruited and scheduled to come four times to our lab (within-subject design). For each counterbalanced visit, they performed one of the following four protocols: control, moderate physical activity (MOD), vigorous physical activity (VIG), and acute stress. Heart rate was monitored during every protocol. MOD and VIG were performed for 15 min and were defined as 40–50% and 70–80%, respectively, of their maximum heart rate. Acute stress was imposed via the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Salivary samples were collected before and after every protocol to assess cortisol concentrations. Working memory (WM) performance was evaluated through the 2N-Back task right after ending the protocol (early WM) and after a delay of 35 min (late WM). Results: VIG and stress, but not MOD, increased salivary cortisol concentrations. However, the increases of cortisol produced by VIG and stress were not significantly different. Also, there were no significant differences in working memory performance (late and early) in any of the experimental protocols tested. Conclusions: These results show that exercise (VIG) and stress produce similar effects on cortisol release and do not support the hypothesis that working memory capacity is influenced by elevated cortisol levels, either from varying exercise intensities or psychological stress.
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24
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Huang K, Hu Y, Sun Y, Yu Z, Liu W, Zhu P, Tao F. Elective caesarean delivery and offspring’s cognitive impairment: Implications of methylation alteration in hippocampus glucocorticoid signaling genes. Brain Res Bull 2019; 144:108-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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25
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Acute psychosocial stress effects on memory performance: Relevance of age and sex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 157:48-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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26
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Human R, Henry M, Jacobs WJ, Thomas KGF. Elevated Cortisol Leaves Working Memory Unaffected in Both Men and Women. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:299. [PMID: 30087603 PMCID: PMC6066520 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (as might occur, for example, when the organism encounters a threat to allostatic balance) leads to the release of cortisol into the bloodstream and, ultimately, to altered neural functioning in particular brain regions (e.g., the prefrontal cortex (PFC)). Although previous studies suggest that exposure to acute psychosocial stress (and hence, presumably, elevation of circulating cortisol levels) enhances male performance on PFC-based working memory (WM) tasks, few studies have adequately investigated female performance on WM tasks under conditions of elevated cortisol. Hence, we compared associations between elevated (relative to baseline) levels of circulating cortisol and n-back performance in a South African sample (38 women in the late luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, 38 men). On Day 1, participants completed practice n-back tasks. On Day 2, some completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), whereas others experienced a relaxation period, before completing 1-back and 3-back tasks. We measured self-reported anxiety and salivary cortisol at baseline, post-manipulation and end of session. We reconstituted group assignment so that all women with elevated cortisol were in one group (EC-Women; n = 17), all men with elevated cortisol were in another (EC-Men; n = 19), all women without elevated cortisol were in a third (NoEC-Women; n = 21), and all men without elevated cortisol were in a fourth (NoEC-Men; n = 19) group. Analyses suggested this reconstitution was effective: in EC, but not NoEC, groups cortisol levels rose significantly from baseline to post-manipulation. Analyses of n-back data detected significant relations to task load (i.e., better performance on 1-back than on 3-back tasks), but no significant relations to sex, performance accuracy/speed, or cortisol variation. The data patterns are inconsistent with reports describing sex differences in effects of stress on WM performance. We speculate that cross-study methodological differences account for these inconsistencies, and, particularly, that between-study variation in the magnitude of baseline cortisol levels might affect outcomes. For instance, diurnal cortisol rhythms of South African samples might have flatter curves, and lower baseline values, than predominantly Caucasian samples from the United States and western Europe due to greater prenatal and lifetime stress, more socioeconomic disadvantage and faster ancestral life history (LH) strategies. We describe ways to disconfirm this hypothesis, and urge further cross-national research exploring these possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Human
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Michelle Henry
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.,Academic Development Programme, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - W Jake Jacobs
- Anxiety Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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27
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Pulopulos MM, Vanderhasselt MA, De Raedt R. Association between changes in heart rate variability during the anticipation of a stressful situation and the stress-induced cortisol response. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 94:63-71. [PMID: 29758470 PMCID: PMC5967249 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Vagal activity - reflecting the activation of stress regulatory mechanisms and prefrontal cortex activation - is thought to play an inhibitory role in the regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, most studies investigating the association between stress-induced changes in heart rate variability (HRV, an index of cardiac vagal tone) and cortisol have shown a non-significant relationship. It has been proposed that physiological changes observed during anticipation of a stressor allow individuals to make behavioral, cognitive, and physiological adjustments that are necessary to deal with the upcoming actual stressor. In this study, in a large sample of 171 healthy adults (96 men and 75 women; mean age = 29.98, SD = 11.07), we investigated whether the cortisol response to a laboratory-based stress task was related to anticipation-induced or stress task-induced changes in HRV. As expected, regression analyses showed that a larger decrease in HRV during the anticipation of a stress task was related to higher stress task-induced cortisol increase, but not cortisol recovery. In line with prior research, the stress task-induced change in HRV was not significantly related to cortisol increase or recovery. Our results show for the first time that anticipatory HRV (reflecting differences in stress regulation and prefrontal activity before the encounter with the stressor) is important to understand the stress-induced cortisol increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
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28
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Zoladz PR, Cadle CE, Dailey AM, Fiely MK, Peters DM, Nagle HE, Mosley BE, Scharf AR, Brown CM, Duffy TJ, Earley MB, Rorabaugh BR, Payment KE. Blunted cortisol response to acute pre-learning stress prevents misinformation effect in a forced confabulation paradigm. Horm Behav 2017; 93:1-8. [PMID: 28414036 PMCID: PMC5544563 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Research examining the effects of stress on false memory formation has been equivocal, partly because of the complex nature of stress-memory interactions. A major factor influencing stress effects on learning is the timing of stress relative to encoding. Previous work has shown that brief stressors administered immediately before learning enhance long-term memory. Thus, we predicted that brief stress immediately before learning would decrease participants' susceptibility to subsequent misinformation and reduce false memory formation. Eighty-four male and female participants submerged their hand in ice cold (stress) or warm (no stress) water for 3min. Immediately afterwards, they viewed an 8-min excerpt from the Disney movie Looking for Miracles. The next day, participants were interviewed and asked several questions about the video, some of which forced them to confabulate responses. Three days and three weeks later, respectively, participants completed a recognition test in the lab and a free recall test via email. Our results revealed a robust misinformation effect, overall, as participants falsely recognized a significant amount of information that they had confabulated during the interview as having occurred in the original video. Stress, overall, did not significantly influence this misinformation effect. However, the misinformation effect was completely absent in stressed participants who exhibited a blunted cortisol response to the stress, for both recognition and recall tests. The complete absence of a misinformation effect in non-responders may lend insight into the interactive roles of autonomic arousal and corticosteroid levels in false memory development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip R Zoladz
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA.
| | - Chelsea E Cadle
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Alison M Dailey
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Miranda K Fiely
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - David M Peters
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Hannah E Nagle
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Brianne E Mosley
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Amanda R Scharf
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Callie M Brown
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Tessa J Duffy
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - McKenna B Earley
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Boyd R Rorabaugh
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences, Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Kristie E Payment
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
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29
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Reed JL, Gallagher NM, Sullivan M, Callicott JH, Green AE. Sex differences in verbal working memory performance emerge at very high loads of common neuroimaging tasks. Brain Cogn 2017; 113:56-64. [PMID: 28119206 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) supports a broad range of intelligent cognition and has been the subject of rich cognitive and neural characterization. However, the highest ranges of WM have not been fully characterized, especially for verbal information. Tasks developed to test multiple levels of WM demand (load) currently predominate brain-based WM research. These tasks are typically used at loads that allow most healthy participants to perform well, which facilitates neuroimaging data collection. Critically, however, high performance at lower loads may obscure differences that emerge at higher loads. A key question not yet addressed at high loads concerns the effect of sex. Thoroughgoing investigation of high-load verbal WM is thus timely to test for potential hidden effects, and to provide behavioral context for effects of sex observed in WM-related brain structure and function. We tested 111 young adults, matched on genotype for the WM-associated COMT-Val108/158Met polymorphism, on three classic WM tasks using verbal information. Each task was tested at four WM loads, including higher loads than those used in previous studies of sex differences. All tasks loaded on a single factor, enabling comparison of verbal WM ability at a construct level. Results indicated sex effects at high loads across tasks and within each task, such that males had higher accuracy, even among groups that were matched for performance at lower loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Reed
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States; Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, United States
| | - Natalie M Gallagher
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States; Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, United States
| | - Marie Sullivan
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States
| | - Joseph H Callicott
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, United States
| | - Adam E Green
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States.
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