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Mikneviciute G, Allaert J, Pulopulos MM, De Raedt R, Kliegel M, Ballhausen N. Acute stress impacts reaction times in older but not in young adults in a flanker task. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17690. [PMID: 37848597 PMCID: PMC10582047 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44356-4] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute psychosocial stress effects on inhibition have been investigated in young adults, but little is known about these effects in older adults. The present study investigated effects of the Trier Social Stress Test on cognitive inhibition (i.e., ability to ignore distracting information) using a cross-over (stress vs. control) design in healthy young (N = 50; 18-30 years; Mage = 23.06) versus older adults (N = 50; 65-84 years; Mage = 71.12). Cognitive inhibition was measured by a letter flanker task and psychophysiological measures (cortisol, heart rate, subjective stress) validated the stress induction. The results showed that while stress impaired overall accuracy across age groups and sessions, stress (vs. control) made older adults' faster in session 1 and slower in session 2. Given that session 2 effects were likely confounded by practice effects, these results suggest that acute psychosocial stress improved older adults' RTs on a novel flanker task but impaired RTs on a practiced flanker task. That is, the interaction between stress and learning effects might negatively affect response execution when testing older adults on flanker tasks. If confirmed by future research, these results might have important implications especially in settings where repeated cognitive testing is performed under acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Mikneviciute
- NCCR LIVES-Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Boulevard du Pont d'Arve 28, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Jens Allaert
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Matthias Kliegel
- NCCR LIVES-Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Boulevard du Pont d'Arve 28, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Ballhausen
- Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Boulevard du Pont d'Arve 28, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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Almstrup FB, Nordentoft M, Jensen MA, Kristiansen J, Kristensen TD, Wenneberg C, Garde AH, Glenthøj LB, Nordholm D. Associations between saliva alpha-amylase, heart rate variability, saliva cortisol and cognitive performance in individuals at ultra high-risk for psychosis. Schizophr Res 2023; 255:165-172. [PMID: 37001391 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive impairments are present in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis and UHR individuals exhibit a hyperactive and dysfunctional HPA-axis. Increasing stress levels could potentially lead to cognitive impairments and no previous studies have examined the association between physiological stress biomarkers and cognition in UHR individuals. This study aims to examine the association between saliva alpha amylase (SAA), heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cortisol, and cognition in UHR individuals. METHOD We included 72 UHR individuals, aged 18-40, fulfilling criteria of the comprehensive assessment of at-risk mental state (CAARMS). Cognitive tests indexed the 7 core domains as stated by Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS). Physiological stress levels were observed for one day: saliva was collected at awakening, 30 min and 60 min after awakening and at bedtime. HRV was measured during sleep and before awakening. We used generalized linear model and controlled for multiple testing using false discovery rate (FDR). RESULTS Higher levels of SAA were significantly associated with lower cognitive performance in the domains of verbal and visual learning and memory, sustained attention, working memory and global neurocognition looking at unadjusted data. Controlling for FDR visual memory, sustained attention and global neurocognition remained significant associated with SAA. We discovered no associations between cortisol and cognition. CONCLUSION Visual learning and memory, sustained attention and global neurocognition remained significantly associated with SAA. This finding supports our hypothesis that an association between abnormal stress biomarkers and impaired cognition might be present in UHR individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Beske Almstrup
- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health - CORE, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health - CORE, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
| | | | - Jesper Kristiansen
- The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tina Dam Kristensen
- Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Christina Wenneberg
- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health - CORE, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark; Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Anne Helene Garde
- The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark; University of Copenhagen, Department of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise Birkedal Glenthøj
- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health - CORE, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dorte Nordholm
- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health - CORE, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
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Llana T, Mendez M, Zorzo C, Fidalgo C, Juan MC, Mendez-Lopez M. Anosmia in COVID-19 could be associated with long-term deficits in the consolidation of procedural and verbal declarative memories. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1082811. [PMID: 36570827 PMCID: PMC9780694 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1082811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Long-COVID describes the long-term effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In long-COVID patients, neuropsychological alterations are frequently reported symptoms. Research points to medial temporal lobe dysfunction and its association with anosmia in long-COVID patients. This study aims to investigate the acquisition and consolidation of declarative and procedural memory in long-COVID patients and to explore whether anosmia is related to these dissociated memory functions. Methods Forty-two long-COVID participants and 30 controls (C) were recruited. The sample of long-COVID patients was divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of anosmia, group A and group NA, respectively. Objective performance in verbal declarative memory (Paired-Associate Learning, PAL), procedural memory (Mirror Tracing Test, MTT), general cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale), psychomotor speed, and incidental learning (Digit Symbol Substitution Test) were assessed and compared among the A, NA, and C groups. Long-term retention of PAL and MTT were assessed 24 h after acquisition. Results Lower scores in general cognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention were found in A and NA compared with C. However, incidental learning, both cue-guided and free-recalled, was diminished in group A compared with C, with no differences with group NA. General cognition and incidental learning were related to declarative memory function exclusively in long-COVID groups. Long-COVID groups presented lower long-term retention of verbal declarative memory than controls in recall tests but no differences in recognition tests. No group differences were found in the acquisition of procedural memory. However, long-term retention of this memory was worse in group A as compared to the NA and C groups, respectively, when errors and time of execution were considered. Conclusion Findings support that consolidation of both procedural and declarative memories is more affected than the acquisition of these memories in long-COVID patients, who are also more vulnerable to deficits in delayed recall than in recognition of declarative memories. Deficits in the consolidation of procedural memory and immediate recall of declarative information are especially relevant in long-COVID participants with anosmia. This indicates that anosmia in COVID-19 could be associated with a long-term dysfunction of the limbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Llana
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain,Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain,Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Mendez
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain,Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain,*Correspondence: Marta Mendez,
| | - Candela Zorzo
- Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain,Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Camino Fidalgo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain,IIS Aragón-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - M.-Carmen Juan
- Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Magdalena Mendez-Lopez
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain,IIS Aragón-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
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Beisel JMS, Maza FJ, Justel N, Larrosa PNF, Delorenzi A. Embodiment of an Emotional State Concurs with a Stress-Induced Reconsolidation Impairment Effect on an Auditory Verbal Word-List Memory. Neuroscience 2022; 497:239-256. [PMID: 35472504 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress alters memory. Understanding how and when acute stress improves or impairs memory is a challenge. Stressors can affect memory depending on a combination of factors. Typically, mild stressors and stress hormones might promote consolidation of memory processing and impair memory retrieval. However, studies have shown that during reconsolidation, stressors may either enhance or impair recalled memory. We propose that a function of reconsolidation is to induce changes in the behavioral expression of memory. Here, we adapted the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) to evaluate the effect of cold pressor stress (CPS) during the reconsolidation of this declarative memory. A decay in memory performance attributable to forgetting was found at the time of memory reactivation 5 d after training (day 6). Contrary to our initial predictions, the administration of CPS after memory reactivation impaired long-term memory expression (day 7), an effect dependent on the presence of a mismatch during Reactivation Session. No differences in recognition tests were found. To assess putative sources of the negative memory modulation effects induced during reconsolidation, current emotional state was evaluated immediately after Testing Session (day 7). An increase in arousal was revealed only when CPS was administered concurrently with memory reactivation-labilization. The possibility of integration during reconsolidation of independent associations of these emotive components in the trace is a critical factor in modulating neutral memories during reconsolidation by stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mariel Sánchez Beisel
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón IFIBYNE, Argentina
| | - Francisco Javier Maza
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón IFIBYNE, Argentina
| | - Nadia Justel
- Lab. Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia Cognitiva (LINC), CEMSC3, ICIFI, UNSAM CONICET, Argentina
| | - Pablo Nicolas Fernandez Larrosa
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón IFIBYNE, Argentina; Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
| | - Alejandro Delorenzi
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón IFIBYNE, Argentina; Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
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Schnitzspahn KM, Plessow F, Kirschbaum C, Wong YH, Kliegel M. Acute psychosocial stress impairs intention initiation in young but not older adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 135:105593. [PMID: 34823141 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Acute psychosocial stress has been shown to impair memory and cognitive control in young adults. So far, only very little empirical research is available concerning possible adult age differences in acute stress effects on cognition in general and cognitive control in particular. Accordingly, the present study set out to test these effects in a controlled laboratory setting comparing performance in a prospective memory task requiring the deployment of proactive cognitive control to successfully implement intentions. Sixty-six young (19-34 years) and 57 older adults (60-82 years) were either exposed to an established psychosocial stress procedure (Trier Social Stress Test) or an active control condition. Stress responses were measured on a fine-grained level across the entire procedure using subjective and physiological stress markers. Results suggest that the stress induction was equally successful in both age groups. While stress impaired prospective memory ability in young adults, it did not affect performance in the older adults. In particular, young adults under acute stress were more likely to completely fail the initiation of the prospective memory task resulting in zero performance. The missing stress effect on prospective memory in older adults is in line with previous studies examining broader mood effects on PM and suggests the exciting possibility that increasing age may act as a resilience factor against deterioration of cognitive control in emotionally challenging situations. AUTHOR NOTES: We thank Florence Caccia, Marta Guidotti, Nikol Hiller, Nada Kojovic, Raphaëlle Martin-Casas and Clémence Voirin for assistance with data collection, Robert Miller for advice concerning the data analyses and Antje Petzold, Jana Strahler and Moritz Walser for their advice regarding study and manuscript preparation. Preparation of this manuscript was funded by a grant (KL2303/5-1) from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) to MK and CK.
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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: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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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Rokita KI, Dauvermann MR, Mothersill D, Holleran L, Bhatnagar P, McNicholas Á, McKernan D, Morris DW, Kelly J, Hallahan B, McDonald C, Donohoe G. Current psychosocial stress, childhood trauma and cognition in patients with schizophrenia and healthy participants. Schizophr Res 2021; 237:115-121. [PMID: 34521038 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive difficulties are experienced frequently in schizophrenia (SZ) and are strongly predictive of functional outcome. Although severity of cognitive difficulties has been robustly associated with early life adversity, whether and how they are affected by current stress is unknown. The present study investigated whether acute stress reactivity as measured by heart rate and mood changes predict cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia and healthy individuals, and whether this is moderated by diagnosis and previous childhood trauma exposure. METHODS One hundred and four patients with schizophrenia and 207 healthy participants were administered a battery of tasks assessing cognitive performance after psychosocial stress induction (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST). Mood states (Profile of Mood States; POMS) and heart rate were assessed at baseline, immediately before, and after the TSST. RESULTS Both healthy participants and patients showed increases in POMS Tension and Total Mood Disturbance scores between Time Point 2 (pre-TSST) and Time Point 3 (post-TSST). These changes were not associated with variation in cognition. Although childhood trauma exposure was associated with higher stress reactivity and poorer cognitive function in all participants, childhood trauma did not moderate the association between stress reactivity and cognition. Neither was diagnosis a moderator of this relationship. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that while chronic stress exposure explains significant variation in cognition, acute stress reactivity (measured by changes in Tension and Total Mood Disturbance) did not. In the context of broader developmental processes, we conclude that stressful events that occur earlier in development, and with greater chronicity, are likely to be more strongly associated with cognitive variation than acute transient stressors experienced in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina I Rokita
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Maria R Dauvermann
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02135, USA
| | - David Mothersill
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; School of Business, National College of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Laurena Holleran
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Paridhi Bhatnagar
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Áine McNicholas
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Declan McKernan
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Derek W Morris
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - John Kelly
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Brian Hallahan
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Colm McDonald
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition & Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
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Pagen LHG, Smeets T, Schmiedek L, Yassa MA, Verhey FRJ, Jacobs HIL. Elevated Activity of the Sympathetic Nervous System Is Related to Diminished Practice Effects in Memory: A Pilot Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 80:1675-1685. [PMID: 33720881 PMCID: PMC8150645 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background: Reductions in memory practice effects have gained interest as risk factor for future cognitive decline. Practice effects vary with age and can be moderated by factors such as individual variability in arousal or stress experience acting as an additional cognitive load. Objective: In the current pilot study, we examined whether sympathetic nervous system activation moderates the relationship between age and practice effects. Methods: Thirty cognitively healthy individuals aged 40–70 years performed a mnemonic discrimination task twice. Salivary alpha amylase (sAA) samples were obtained at different time points as a proxy of sympathetic activity. Spearman correlations examined the relation between practice effects and sAA. Subsequently, age by sAA interactions on practice scores were explored with bootstrapped linear regression models. Additionally, participants were divided in learners (exhibiting practice effects) and non-learners based on the difference in mnemonic discrimination performance. Results: Higher age and baseline SNS activity were independently related to lower practice effects. The non-learners showed significantly higher sAA scores at all time points compared to learners. Among the learners, baseline-adjusted lower levels of sAA after encoding were associated with greater practice effects, particularly in middle-aged individuals. No such interaction was observed for non-learners. Conclusion: These results show that higher baseline sympathetic activation is associated with worse practice effects independently of age. Additionally, in a subgroup of middle-aged learners practice effects were observed when sympathetic activity remained low during learning. These findings suggest that elevated sympathetic nervous system activation may be a promising indicator of imminent cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda H G Pagen
- Alzheimer Centre Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom Smeets
- CoRPS -Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic Disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology>, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Schmiedek
- Alzheimer Centre Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Michael A Yassa
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Frans R J Verhey
- Alzheimer Centre Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Alzheimer Centre Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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9
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Vallejo L, Zapater-Fajarí M, Montoliu T, Puig-Perez S, Nacher J, Hidalgo V, Salvador A. No Effects of Acute Psychosocial Stress on Working Memory in Older People With Type 2 Diabetes. Front Psychol 2021; 11:596584. [PMID: 33584433 PMCID: PMC7874042 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.596584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been considered a public health threat due to its growing prevalence, particularly in the older population. It is important to know the effects of psychosocial stress and its potential consequences for some basic cognitive processes that are important in daily life. Currently, there is very little information about how people with T2D face acute psychosocial stressors, and even less about how their response affects working memory (WM), which is essential for their functionality and independence. Our aim was to characterize the response to an acute laboratory psychosocial stressor and its effects on WM in older people with T2D. Fifty participants with T2D from 52 to 77 years old were randomly assigned to a stress (12 men and 12 women) or control (12 men and 14 women) condition. Mood and physiological (cortisol, C, and salivary alpha-amylase, sAA) responses to tasks were measured. In addition, participants completed a WM test before and after the stress or control task. Our results showed that the TSST elicited higher negative affect and greater C and sAA responses than the control task. No significant differences in WM were observed depending on the exposure to stress or the control task. Finally, participants who showed higher C and sAA responses to the stressor had lower WM performance. Our results indicate that medically treated older adults with T2D show clear, typical mood and physiological responses to an acute psychosocial stressor. Finally, the lack of acute psychosocial stress effects on WM suggests that it could be related to aging and not to this disease, at least when T2D is adequately treated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Vallejo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and University Institute for Research in Psychology of Human Resources, Organizational Development and Quality of Work Life (IDOCAL), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mariola Zapater-Fajarí
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and University Institute for Research in Psychology of Human Resources, Organizational Development and Quality of Work Life (IDOCAL), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Teresa Montoliu
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and University Institute for Research in Psychology of Human Resources, Organizational Development and Quality of Work Life (IDOCAL), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sara Puig-Perez
- Department of Health Sciences, Valencian International University, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Valencian (VLC) Campus Research Microcluster "Technologies of Information and Control Applied to the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Diabetes," University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental: Spanish National Network of Research in Mental Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and University Institute for Research in Psychology of Human Resources, Organizational Development and Quality of Work Life (IDOCAL), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,II Aragón, Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and University Institute for Research in Psychology of Human Resources, Organizational Development and Quality of Work Life (IDOCAL), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Valencian (VLC) Campus Research Microcluster "Technologies of Information and Control Applied to the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Diabetes," University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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10
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Crosswell AD, Whitehurst L, Mendes WB. Effects of acute stress on cognition in older versus younger adults. Psychol Aging 2021; 36:241-251. [PMID: 33539149 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Does acute stress differentially alter cognitive functioning in older versus younger adults? While older adults may be better at handling stress psychologically, their physiological systems are less elastic, potentially impairing the cognitive functioning of older adults after a stressor. We examined cognition following an acute stressor among older (n = 65; ages 60-79) and younger (n = 61; ages 25-40) adults. Participants were randomized to complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in one of three conditions: (a) negative feedback, (b) positive feedback, or (c) no feedback. Participants reported mood states and appraisals of the speech task and we measured cortisol via saliva throughout the study. After the TSST, participants completed standard cognitive tasks to evaluate cognitive flexibility, problem solving, and short-term memory. Results showed that after the TSST, older adults took longer to solve problems compared with younger adults, though they were able to solve the same number of problems. Older adults showed less cognitive flexibility compared with younger adults in all conditions, a finding that was partially exaggerated in the positive feedback condition. There were no age-group differences in short-term memory; however, for older adults greater perceived resources and positive affect were associated with better memory performance. In sum, older and younger adults were both affected by acute stress, and older adults were not more (or less) vulnerable to the effects of stress on cognition, though they did show stronger associations between self-reported affective states and memory performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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11
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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: 1.0] [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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12
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Cohen A, Zemel C, Colodner R, Abu-Shkara R, Masalha R, Mahagna L, Barel E. Interactive role of endocrine stress systems and reproductive hormones in the effects of stress on declarative memory. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104807. [PMID: 32717656 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The effects of stress on memory performance, and the neuroendocrine mechanisms mediating such effects, are not well understood. Given the interrelationship between reproductive hormones and both the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-A), we examined their combined effect on stress-induced modulation of declarative memory. Before and after exposure either to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) procedure or to a non-stress condition, 112 participants completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. We analyzed participants' HPA-A and SNS reactivity by measuring cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA, an SNS activation marker) in four saliva samples. In addition, testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone were sampled prior to the stress exposure. Exposure to the TSST attenuated memory recall after an introduction of an interference list during the declarative memory task. Importantly, controlling for testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone diminished this effect of stress, suggesting the importance of baseline reproductive hormones in stress-induced modulation of memory functions. Furthermore, a multiple regression model revealed that stress-induced declines in memory performance were negatively associated with participants' stress-induced cortisol reactivity, but only among individuals with high testosterone levels. In addition, stress-induced declines in memory performance were negatively associated with participants' stress-induced increases in sAA, but only in individuals with low progesterone levels. These findings suggest that the effects of stress on memory performance may be modulated by baseline reproductive hormones and provide a preliminary indication for specific modulatory interrelationships between reproductive hormones and neuroendocrine stress mechanisms in mediating the effects of stress on memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Cohen
- Department of Psychology, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel.
| | - Chen Zemel
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, The Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel, Israel.
| | - Raul Colodner
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
| | - Randa Abu-Shkara
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
| | - Refaat Masalha
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
| | - Lila Mahagna
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
| | - Efrat Barel
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, The Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel, Israel.
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Pearman A, Neupert SD, Hughes ML. State Anxiety Is Related to Cortisol Response During Cognitive Testing for Older Adults. Gerontol Geriatr Med 2020; 6:2333721420914776. [PMID: 32284956 PMCID: PMC7139176 DOI: 10.1177/2333721420914776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive testing situations can be stressful for both younger and older adults,
but threats of cognitive evaluation may be particularly salient among anxious
older individuals as they tend to be more concerned than younger adults about
their cognitive abilities and age-related cognitive decline. We examined
age-related differences in the effect of anxiety on cortisol responses during
cognitive testing in a sample of 27 younger (M = 19.8) and 29
older (M = 71.2) adults. Older adults with higher anxiety also
had higher during-task cortisol (suggesting higher reactivity to testing) than
older adults with lower anxiety and young adults. There was no effect of anxiety
on cortisol for younger adults. Simultaneously examining subjective (state
anxiety) and physiological (cortisol response) indicators of threat during
cognitive testing appears to be especially important for older adults with
higher state anxiety. The results are important for understanding cortisol
reactivity, particularly in older adults. Researchers who administer cognitive
tests to older adults and clinicians who work with older adults with cognitive
concerns and/or anxiety may want to consider how they present their
material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Pearman
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
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14
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Shields GS. Stress and cognition: A user's guide to designing and interpreting studies. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 112:104475. [PMID: 31810538 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Fueling the rapid growth in our understanding of how stress influences cognition, the number of studies examining the effects of stress on various cognitive processes has grown substantially over the last two decades. Despite this growth, few published guidelines exist for designing these studies, and divergent paradigm designs can diminish typical effects of stress or even reverse them. The goal of this review, therefore, is to survey necessary considerations (e.g., validating a stress induction), important considerations (e.g., specifying the timing of the stressor and cognitive task), and best practices (e.g., using Bayesian analyses) when designing a study that aims at least in part to examine the effects of acute stress on some cognitive process or function. These guidelines will also serve to help readers of these studies interpret what may otherwise be very confusing, anomalous results. Designing and interpreting studies with these considerations and practices in mind will help to move the field of stress and cognition forward by clarifying how, exactly, stress influences performance on a given cognitive task in a population of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant S Shields
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, United States.
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15
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Hidalgo V, Almela M, Villada C, van der Meij L, Salvador A. Verbal performance during stress in healthy older people: Influence of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and cortisol reactivity. Biol Psychol 2019; 149:107786. [PMID: 31639406 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The impact of stress on the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) response in older population is understudied. This study investigated, in healthy older people, whether the DHEA and cortisol responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was related to performance on this task. Both speech (rated by committee and self-rated) and arithmetic (number of mistakes) performance were assessed. Sixty-five participants (55-77 years old) were exposed to the TSST. Increases in negative affect, state anxiety, and cortisol levels could be observed, but there were no significant changes in positive affect or DHEA levels. Interestingly, a larger DHEA response was related to better verbal performance after controlling for the cortisol's reactivity. No relationships were found between hormonal responses and the arithmetic task performance. Our results suggest that, in healthy older people, an increase in DHEA levels in response to acute psychosocial stress may help them to cope with this stressor by increasing verbal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Hidalgo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain; Aragon Health Research Institute, Zaragoza, Spain; Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Almela
- Health Department, Valencian International University (VIU), Valencia, Spain
| | - Carolina Villada
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurobiology, Institute of Neurobiology, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Leander van der Meij
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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16
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Shields GS, Dunn TM, Trainor BC, Yonelinas AP. Determining the biological associates of acute cold pressor post-encoding stress effects on human memory: The role of salivary interleukin-1β. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 81:178-187. [PMID: 31176727 PMCID: PMC6754786 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress generally hurts many aspects of memory, but an interesting finding to emerge from the stress and memory literature is that stress that occurs shortly after learning (i.e., post-encoding stress) usually benefits memory. Although this effect is well established, the biological mechanisms underpinning this effect are not-especially in humans. We addressed this gap in the present study by collecting saliva samples from 80 participants who were randomized to a post-encoding stress (i.e., cold pressor for 3 min) or control task (i.e., warm water for 3 min) and 48 h later completed a recognition memory task. Saliva was collected both prior to and 15 min after the offset of (18 min after the onset of) the stress/control manipulation. Drawing on animal and human work, we examined how five stress-responsive biomarkers-cortisol, salivary α-amylase, progesterone, estradiol, and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β, all assessed in saliva-related to the effects of stress on memory. We found that stress enhanced recollection of negative images and that these effects were selectively related to salivary IL-1β. Moreover, we found that the beneficial effects of stress on memory were statistically mediated by salivary IL-1β. We found no robust associations-either linear or quadratic-between memory and any other biomarker, nor did we find significant interactions between biomarkers in predicting memory. These results suggest that immune system activity indexed by salivary IL-1β may play an important role in contributing to post-encoding stress effects on human memory.
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Towers AE, Oelschlager ML, Lorenz M, Gainey SJ, McCusker RH, Krauklis SA, Freund GG. Handling stress impairs learning through a mechanism involving caspase-1 activation and adenosine signaling. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 80:763-776. [PMID: 31108171 PMCID: PMC6664453 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute stressors can induce fear and physiologic responses that prepare the body to protect from danger. A key component of this response is immune system readiness. In particular, inflammasome activation appears critical to linking stress to the immune system. Here, we show that a novel combination of handling procedures used regularly in mouse research impairs novel object recognition (NOR) and activates caspase-1 in the amygdala. In male mice, this handling-stress paradigm combined weighing, scruffing and sham abdominal injection once per hr. While one round of weigh/scruff/needle-stick had no impact on NOR, two rounds compromised NOR without impacting location memory or anxiety-like behaviors. Caspase-1 knockout (KO), IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1) KO and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-RA)-administered mice were resistant to handling stress-induced loss of NOR. In addition, examination of the brain showed that handling stress increased caspase-1 activity 85% in the amygdala without impacting hippocampal caspase-1 activity. To delineate danger signals relevant to handling stress, caffeine-administered and adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR) KO mice were tested and found resistant to impaired learning and caspase-1 activation. Finally, mice treated with the β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol, were resistant to handling stress-induced loss of NOR and caspase-1 activation. Taken together, these results indicate that handling stress-induced impairment of object learning is reliant on a pathway requiring A2AR-dependent activation of caspase-1 in the amygdala that appears contingent on β-adrenergic receptor functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert E Towers
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Madelyn Lorenz
- Department of Pathology, Program in Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Stephen J Gainey
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Robert H McCusker
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Pathology, Program in Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Steven A Krauklis
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Gregory G Freund
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Pathology, Program in Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
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18
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Ballanger B, Bath KG, Mandairon N. Odorants: a tool to provide nonpharmacological intervention to reduce anxiety during normal and pathological aging. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 82:18-29. [PMID: 31377537 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders represent 1 of the most common classes of psychiatric disorders. In the aging population and for patients with age-related pathology, the percentage of people suffering of anxiety is significantly elevated. Furthermore, anxiety carries with it an increased risk for a variety of age-related medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and increased severity of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease. A variety of anxiolytic compounds are available but often carry with them disturbing side effects that impact quality of life. Among nonmedicinal approaches to reducing anxiety, odor diffusion and aromatherapy are the most popular. In this review, we highlight the emerging perspective that the use of odorants may reduce anxiety symptoms or at least potentiate the effect of other anxiolytic approaches and may serve as an alternative form of therapy to deal with anxiety symptoms. Such approaches may be particularly beneficial in aging populations with elevated risk for these disorders. We also discuss potential neural mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic effects of odorants based on work in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedicte Ballanger
- INSERM, U1028; CNRS, UMR5292; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Neuroplasticity and Neuropathology of Olfactory Perception Team, Lyon F-69000, France; University Lyon, Lyon F-69000, France; University Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69000, France
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence RI 02912, United States
| | - Nathalie Mandairon
- INSERM, U1028; CNRS, UMR5292; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Neuroplasticity and Neuropathology of Olfactory Perception Team, Lyon F-69000, France; University Lyon, Lyon F-69000, France; University Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69000, France.
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19
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Wolf OT. Memories of and influenced by the Trier Social Stress Test. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 105:98-104. [PMID: 30409385 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress influences cognition, affect and behavior. This current review summarizes the impact of acute stress on human long-term memory taking a neuroendocrine perspective. In this respect the stress associated increase in activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are key. A special focus will be placed on findings obtained with the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). This paradigm can be used to induce stress before or after a memory task. It was shown repeatedly that stress enhances long-term consolidation but impairs long term memory retrieval. However the TSST can also be used to assess memories of this stressful episode itself. The latter requires a standardized presentation of relevant stimuli during the TSST as well as a carefully designed control condition. Moreover special care has to be taken to control potential influences on visual exploration and working memory in order to correctly interpret observed effects on memory. The results obtained so far fit to the idea of enhanced encoding of salient information under stress. These findings are of relevance for educational, organizational and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
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20
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Munoz-Montoya F, Fidalgo C, Juan MC, Mendez-Lopez M. Memory for Object Location in Augmented Reality: The Role of Gender and the Relationship Among Spatial and Anxiety Outcomes. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:113. [PMID: 31001098 PMCID: PMC6455057 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential of augmented reality (AR) technology for the study of spatial memory and orientation is a new research field. AR defines systems that attempt to enhance the user’s experience with the physical world. In our app, we enhance the sense of sight by adding interactive 3D elements to the real environment. Our app can be used in any real environment so that the experimental conditions during the tasks and the way in which an individual navigates are similar to those used in real life. With AR, the experimenter has a high level of control of the task and can store the participant’s responses accurately. The classical factors that influence an individual’s performance on virtual spatial tasks are gender and cognitive factors. The influence of emotional factors on spatial performance has been studied more recently. Since AR tasks for the study of spatial memory and spatial orientation are new developments, little is known about the factors that are related to performance on tasks of this type. In our study, we tested 46 young adults (26 women) in an AR object-location task that was performed in a building. The participants had to memorize the position of eight virtual objects while they were walking through the environment. We also assessed the participants’ performance on an object-recall task, a map-pointing task, and a paper-and-pencil spatial orientation task. The self-reported importance of different spatial strategies for wayfinding and the levels of trait anxiety and wayfinding anxiety were also evaluated. Our findings indicate that men performed better on the spatial paper-and-pencil test and spent more time completing the learning phase of the AR task. The spatial memory for the location of the objects in AR and on the map correlated positively. Anxiety was related to individual differences in the self-reported use of a spatial orientation strategy, but the association among them was weak. Trait anxiety was positively related to the time employed by the participants during the learning phase of the AR task, whereas wayfinding anxiety correlated negatively with the preference for an orientation strategy. Our results highlight the importance of anxiety in spatial orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Munoz-Montoya
- Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Camino Fidalgo
- IIS Aragón, Departamento de Psicología y Sociología, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - M-Carmen Juan
- Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Magdalena Mendez-Lopez
- IIS Aragón, Departamento de Psicología y Sociología, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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21
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Guerdoux-Ninot E, Trouillet R. Impact of perceived stress on cognitive performance: Moderating effect of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2019; 41:364-379. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2018.1564250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Guerdoux-Ninot
- Department of Supportive Care, Psycho-oncology Unit, Montpellier Cancer Institute (ICM) – University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Department of Neuro-geriatrics, Millénaire Private Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Raphaël Trouillet
- Laboratory Epsylon EA 4556, Université of Montpellier and University Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France
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22
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Duesenberg M, Wolf OT, Metz S, Roepke S, Fleischer J, Elias V, Renneberg B, Otte C, Wingenfeld K. Psychophysiological stress response and memory in borderline personality disorder. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1568134. [PMID: 30788063 PMCID: PMC6374976 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1568134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Previously, we found that patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) but not healthy controls (HC) showed improved memory retrieval after hydrocortisone administration. Objective: In this study, we examined whether increases in endogenous cortisol after psychosocial stress are associated with memory function in patients with BPD and in healthy individuals. Methods: We recruited 49 female patients with BPD and 49 female HC. All participants were exposed to a psychosocial stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and a control condition (Placebo (P-)TSST) in randomized order. Salivary cortisol, alpha amylase (sAA) and blood pressure were measured in response to stress. Subsequently, we examined free recall of a previously learned word list, autobiographical memory, and working memory. Results: We found a stress*time*group interaction effect for the cortisol response and for sAA to stress, which is mainly triggered by a slightly different increase in cortisol between groups from pre to post TSST. Furthermore, BPD patients showed a less pronounced increase in diastolic blood pressure compared to HC after stress. There was no effect of stress on memory performance in any tests, either in healthy controls or in patients with BPD. Conclusion: Our results suggest a slightly blunted response of the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system to stress in BPD compared to healthy women. In contrast to hydrocortisone administration, psychosocial stress did not improve memory retrieval in BPD patients. This might be explained by lower cortisol concentrations and parallel increases in norepinephrine and negative affect after stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Duesenberg
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sophie Metz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Roepke
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Fleischer
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valentina Elias
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Christian Otte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
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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: 5.3] [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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24
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Espin L, Villada C, Hidalgo V, Salvador A. Effects of sex and menstrual cycle phase on cardiac response and alpha- amylase levels in psychosocial stress. Biol Psychol 2018; 140:141-148. [PMID: 30552951 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The impact of sex and the menstrual cycle phase on the autonomic response to psychosocial stress remains controversial. This study explored autonomic nervous system activity through salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate, and heart rate variability responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in healthy young people. The sample was composed of 25 men, 26 women in the luteal phase, and 25 women in the follicular phase, from 18 to 25 years of age. Participants were exposed to the TSST or a control condition. The results indicate that women in their follicular phase showed a blunted alpha-amylase response to stress compared to men and women in the luteal phase. In addition, men showed higher sympatho-vagal activity in the stress condition compared to the two groups of women. These results confirm that sex and the menstrual cycle phase are potential modulators of autonomic nervous system reactivity to psychosocial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Espin
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
| | - Carolina Villada
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Neurobiology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; IIS Aragón, Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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The relationship between cortisol and cognitive function in healthy older people: The moderating role of Apolipoprotein E polymorphism. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:297-305. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Smith AM, Dijkstra K, Gordon LT, Romero LM, Thomas AK. An investigation into the impact of acute stress on encoding in older adults. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2018; 26:749-766. [DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2018.1524438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Smith
- Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Katinka Dijkstra
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Dierolf AM, Schoofs D, Hessas EM, Falkenstein M, Otto T, Paul M, Suchan B, Wolf OT. Good to be stressed? Improved response inhibition and error processing after acute stress in young and older men. Neuropsychologia 2018; 119:434-447. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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dos Santos AT, Leyendecker DMD, Costa ALS, de Souza-Talarico JN. Relationship between cortisol reactivity to psychosocial stress and declarative memory decline during aging: Impact of age and sex. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 18:169-176. [DOI: 10.1111/ggi.13139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ana Lucia Siqueira Costa
- Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing; University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
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Shields GS, Sazma MA, McCullough AM, Yonelinas AP. The effects of acute stress on episodic memory: A meta-analysis and integrative review. Psychol Bull 2017; 143:636-675. [PMID: 28368148 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research has indicated that acute stress can critically impact memory. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in the literature, and important questions remain regarding the conditions under which stress effects emerge as well as basic questions about how stress impacts different phases of memory. In this meta-analysis, we examined 113 independent studies in humans with 6,216 participants that explored effects of stress on encoding, postencoding, retrieval, or postreactivation phases of episodic memory. The results indicated that when stress occurred prior to or during encoding it impaired memory, unless both the delay between the stressor and encoding was very short and the study materials were directly related to the stressor, in which case stress improved encoding. In contrast, postencoding stress improved memory unless the stressor occurred in a different physical context than the study materials. When stress occurred just prior to or during retrieval, memory was impaired, and these effects were larger for emotionally valenced materials than neutral materials. Although stress consistently increased cortisol, the magnitude of the cortisol response was not related to the effects of stress on memory. Nonetheless, the effects of stress on memory were generally reduced in magnitude for women taking hormonal contraceptives. These analyses indicate that stress disrupts some episodic memory processes while enhancing others, and that the effects of stress are modulated by a number of critical factors. These results provide important constraints on current theories of stress and memory, and point to new questions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Villada C, Espin L, Hidalgo V, Rubagotti S, Sgoifo A, Salvador A. The influence of coping strategies and behavior on the physiological response to social stress in women: The role of age and menstrual cycle phase. Physiol Behav 2017; 170:37-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Sanchez LM, Cooknell LE. The Power of 3: Using adult learning principles to facilitate patient education. Nursing 2017; 47:17-19. [PMID: 28121782 DOI: 10.1097/01.nurse.0000511819.18774.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lynda M Sanchez
- At Midland Memorial Hospital, in Midland, Tex., Lynda M. Sanchez is a simulation lab coordinator and Lynn E. Cooknell is a cardiovascular care coordinator
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Allen AP, Kennedy PJ, Dockray S, Cryan JF, Dinan TG, Clarke G. The Trier Social Stress Test: Principles and practice. Neurobiol Stress 2016; 6:113-126. [PMID: 28229114 PMCID: PMC5314443 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers interested in the neurobiology of the acute stress response in humans require a valid and reliable acute stressor that can be used under experimental conditions. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) provides such a testing platform. It induces stress by requiring participants to make an interview-style presentation, followed by a surprise mental arithmetic test, in front of an interview panel who do not provide feedback or encouragement. In this review, we outline the methodology of the TSST, and discuss key findings under conditions of health and stress-related disorder. The TSST has unveiled differences in males and females, as well as different age groups, in their neurobiological response to acute stress. The TSST has also deepened our understanding of how genotype may moderate the cognitive neurobiology of acute stress, and exciting new inroads have been made in understanding epigenetic contributions to the biological regulation of the acute stress response using the TSST. A number of innovative adaptations have been developed which allow for the TSST to be used in group settings, with children, in combination with brain imaging, and with virtual committees. Future applications may incorporate the emerging links between the gut microbiome and the stress response. Future research should also maximise use of behavioural data generated by the TSST. Alternative acute stress paradigms may have utility over the TSST in certain situations, such as those that require repeat testing. Nonetheless, we expect that the TSST remains the gold standard for examining the cognitive neurobiology of acute stress in humans. The TSST is the human experimental gold standard for evaluating the neurobiology of acute stress. The HPA axis response to the TSST is higher in males and lower in older adults. Genotype and epigenetic factors moderate the neurobiological response to the TSST. Multiple adaptations of the TSST are available for different testing contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Allen
- APC Microbiome Institute, Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Paul J Kennedy
- APC Microbiome Institute, Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Samantha Dockray
- School of Applied Psychology, Enterprise Centre, University College Cork, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Institute, Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Institute, Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Institute, Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Stephens MAC, Mahon PB, McCaul ME, Wand GS. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to acute psychosocial stress: Effects of biological sex and circulating sex hormones. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 66:47-55. [PMID: 26773400 PMCID: PMC4788592 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis influences the risk for developing stress-related disorders. Sex-dependent differences in the HPA axis stress response are believed to contribute to the different prevalence rates of stress-related disorders found in men and women. However, studies examining the HPA axis stress response have shown mixed support for sex differences, and the role of endogenous sex hormones on HPA axis response has not been adequately examined in humans. This study utilized the largest sample size to date to analyze the effects of biological sex and sex hormones on HPA axis social stress responses. Healthy, 18- to 30- year-old community volunteers (N=282) completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a widely used and well-validated stress-induction laboratory procedure. All women (n=135) were tested during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle (when progesterone levels are most similar to men). Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol measures were collected at multiple points throughout pre- and post-TSST. Testosterone and progesterone (in men) and progesterone and estradiol (in women) were determined pre-TSST. Following the TSST, men had greater ACTH and cortisol levels than women. Men had steeper baseline-to-peak and peak-to-end ACTH and cortisol response slopes than women; there was a trend for more cortisol responders among men than women. Testosterone negatively correlated with salivary cortisol response in men, while progesterone negatively correlated with ACTH and cortisol responses in women. These data confirm that men show more robust activation of the HPA axis response to the TSST than do women in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Testosterone results suggest an inhibitory effect on HPA axis reactivity in men. Progesterone results suggest an inhibitory effect on HPA axis reactivity in women. Future work is needed to explain why men mount a greater ACTH and cortisol response to the TSST than do women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ann C Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 115, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Pamela B Mahon
- Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe St, Phipps 300, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| | - Mary E McCaul
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 115, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Gary S Wand
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 115, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Ross Building, Rm 863, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Jansen SWM, van Heemst D, van der Grond J, Westendorp R, Oei NYL. Physiological responding to stress in middle-aged males enriched for longevity: a social stress study. Stress 2016; 19:28-36. [PMID: 26453529 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2015.1105213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals enriched for familial longevity display a lower prevalence of age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular- and metabolic diseases. Since these diseases are associated with stress and increased cortisol levels, one of the underlying mechanisms that may contribute to healthy longevity might be a more adaptive response to stress. To investigate this, male middle-aged offspring from long-lived families (n = 31) and male non-offspring (with no familial history of longevity) (n = 26) were randomly allocated to the Trier Social Stress Test or a control condition in an experimental design. Physiological (cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate) and subjective responses were measured during the entire procedure. The results showed that Offspring had lower overall cortisol levels compared to Non-offspring regardless of condition, and lower absolute cortisol output (AUCg) during stress compared to Non-Offspring, while the increase (AUCi) did not differ between groups. In addition, systolic blood pressure in Offspring was lower compared to Non-offspring during the entire procedure. At baseline, Offspring had significantly lower systolic blood pressure and reported less subjective stress than Non-offspring and showed a trend towards lower heart rate. Offspring from long-lived families might thus be less stressed prior to potentially stressful events and consequently show overall lower levels in physiological responses. Although attenuated physiological responding cannot be ruled out, lower starting points and a lower peak level in physiological responding when confronted with an actual stressor, might already limit damage due to stress over a lifetime. Lower physiological responding may also contribute to the lower prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and other stress-related diseases in healthy longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeroen van der Grond
- b Department of Radiology , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , the Netherlands
| | - Rudi Westendorp
- a Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics and
- c Department of Public Health , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Nicole Y L Oei
- d Developmental Psychology (ADAPT-Lab), University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , the Netherlands , and
- e Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , the Netherlands
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Hidalgo V, Pulopulos MM, Puig-Perez S, Espin L, Gomez-Amor J, Salvador A. Acute stress affects free recall and recognition of pictures differently depending on age and sex. Behav Brain Res 2015; 292:393-402. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Revised: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Romero-Martínez A, González-Bono E, Salvador A, Moya-Albiol L. Declarative verbal memory impairments in middle-aged women who are caregivers of offspring with autism spectrum disorders: The role of negative affect and testosterone. Memory 2015; 24:640-9. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2015.1034727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Abstract
An individual's susceptibility to psychological and physical disorders associated with chronic stress exposure, for example, cardiovascular and infectious disease, may also be predicted by their reactivity to acute stress. One factor associated with both stress resilience and health outcomes is personality. An understanding of how personality influences responses to acute stress may shed light upon individual differences in susceptibility to chronic stress-linked disease. This study examined the relationships between personality and acute responses to stress in 125 healthy adults, using hierarchical linear regression. We assessed personality traits using the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ-BF), and responses to acute stress (cortisol, heart rate, blood pressure, mood) using a standardized laboratory psychosocial stress task, the Trier Social Stress Test. Individuals with high Negative Emotionality exhibited greater emotional distress and lower blood pressure responses to the Trier Social Stress Test. Individuals with high agentic Positive Emotionality exhibited prolonged heart rate responses to stress, whereas those with high communal Positive Emotionality exhibited smaller cortisol and blood pressure responses. Separate personality traits differentially predicted emotional, cardiovascular, and cortisol responses to a psychosocial stressor in healthy volunteers. Future research investigating the association of personality with chronic stress-related disease may provide further clues to the relationship between acute stress reactivity and susceptibility to disease.
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Abstract
Several studies have shown that acute stress affects working memory (WM) in young adults, but the effect in older people is understudied. As observed in other types of memory, older people may be less sensitive to acute effects of stress on WM. We performed two independent studies with healthy older men and women (from 55 to 77 years old) to investigate the effects of acute stress (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) and cortisol on WM. In study 1 (n = 63), after the TSST women (but not men) improved their performance on Digit Span Forward (a measure of the memory span component of WM) but not on Digit Span Backward (a measure of both memory span and the executive component of WM). Furthermore, in women, cortisol levels at the moment of memory testing showed a positive association with the memory span component of WM before and after the TSST, and with the executive component of WM only before the stress task. In study 2 (n = 76), although participants showed a cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) response to the TSST, stress did not affect performance on Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS; a task that places a high demand on the executive component of WM). Cortisol and sAA were not associated with WM. The results indicate that circulating cortisol levels at the moment of memory testing, and not the stress response, affect memory span in older women, and that stress and the increase in cortisol levels after stress do not affect the executive component of WM in older men and women. This study provides further evidence that older people may be less sensitive to stress and stress-induced cortisol response effects on memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Valencia , Valencia , Spain
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Prenderville JA, Kennedy PJ, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Adding fuel to the fire: the impact of stress on the ageing brain. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:13-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Taylor BT, Mancini M. Discrepancy between clinician and research assistant in TIMI score calculation (TRIAGED CPU). West J Emerg Med 2014; 16:24-33. [PMID: 25671004 PMCID: PMC4307721 DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2014.9.21685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Several studies have attempted to demonstrate that the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score has the ability to risk stratify emergency department (ED) patients with potential acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Most of the studies we reviewed relied on trained research investigators to determine TIMI risk scores rather than ED providers functioning in their normal work capacity. We assessed whether TIMI risk scores obtained by ED providers in the setting of a busy ED differed from those obtained by trained research investigators. Methods This was an ED-based prospective observational cohort study comparing TIMI scores obtained by 49 ED providers admitting patients to an ED chest pain unit (CPU) to scores generated by a team of trained research investigators. We examined provider type, patient gender, and TIMI elements for their effects on TIMI risk score discrepancy. Results Of the 501 adult patients enrolled in the study, 29.3% of TIMI risk scores determined by ED providers and trained research investigators were generated using identical TIMI risk score variables. In our low-risk population the majority of TIMI risk score differences were small; however, 12% of TIMI risk scores differed by two or more points. Conclusion TIMI risk scores determined by ED providers in the setting of a busy ED frequently differ from scores generated by trained research investigators who complete them while not under the same pressure of an ED provider.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Taylor
- Lakeland HealthCare, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Joseph MI, Department of Emergency Medicine, Saint Joseph, Michigan
| | - Michelino Mancini
- Lakeland HealthCare, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Joseph MI, Department of Emergency Medicine, Saint Joseph, Michigan
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Pulopulos MM, Hidalgo V, Almela M, Puig-Perez S, Villada C, Salvador A. Hair cortisol and cognitive performance in healthy older people. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 44:100-11. [PMID: 24767624 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Worse cognitive performance in older people has been associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation (in particular, higher cortisol levels). Analysis of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) is a novel method to measure long-term cortisol exposure, and its relationship with cognition in healthy older people has not yet been studied. We investigated whether HCC (measured in hair scalp) and diurnal salivary cortisol levels (awakening, 30min after awakening, and evening, across two days) were related to cognitive performance (assessed with the Trail-making Test A and B, Digit Span Forward and Backward, word list-RAVLT and Stories subtest of the Rivermead) in 57 healthy older people (mean age=64.75 years, SD=4.17). Results showed that lower HCC were consistently related to worse working memory, learning, short-term verbal memory (RAVLT first trial and immediate recall) and long-term verbal memory. In contrast, higher mean levels and higher diurnal area under the curve of diurnal salivary cortisol were related to worse attention and short-term verbal memory (immediate story recall), respectively. Interestingly, a higher ratio of mean levels of diurnal salivary cortisol over HCC were related to worse performance on working memory and short-term verbal memory, suggesting that those individuals with lower long-term cortisol exposure might be more vulnerable to the negative effect of HPA-axis dysregulation on these cognitive processes. Our findings suggest that both low long-term cortisol exposure and a possible dysregulation of the diurnal rhythm of the HPA-axis may account, at least in part, for the inter-individual variability in cognitive performance in healthy older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain.
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Mercedes Almela
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Sara Puig-Perez
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Carolina Villada
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
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