Related Experiment Videos
Stress, glucocorticoids, and memory: a meta-analytic review
Marie D Sauro1, Randall S Jorgensen, C Teal Pedlow
1Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, NY, USA. msauro@umassd.edu
Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|December 9, 2003
Summary
Stress impacts memory and cortisol levels, but the relationship is complex. Factors like stress type and gender significantly influence how stress affects memory performance and glucocorticoid activation.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Stress Research
Background:
- A well-established link exists between stress, glucocorticoids, and memory function.
- However, the precise nature of this relationship is complex and influenced by various factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To meta-analyze the effects of stress on memory performance and glucocorticoid activation.
- To investigate moderating factors such as stress type and gender.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis of 28 studies, incorporating 88 effect sizes and 1642 participants.
- Data were analyzed to assess the association between stress, glucocorticoid levels, and memory outcomes.
Main Results:
- Stress was significantly associated with increased glucocorticoid activation and a decline in declarative memory.
- Predator stress had a greater impact on memory in animal models compared to physical stress.
- Human males exhibited higher cortisol responses to stress than females.
- The correlation between cortisol and memory deficits was stronger in laboratory stress studies versus chronic stress studies.
Conclusions:
- The empirical evidence supports a link between stress, glucocorticoids, and memory impairment.
- Stress condition, gender, and individual differences play crucial roles in modulating this association.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate these influencing factors.