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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Published on: March 30, 2016

Accelerated trace eyeblink conditioning after cortisol IV-infusion.

Linn K Kuehl¹, Johanna Lass-Hennemann, Steffen Richter

¹Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Trier, Germany. linnkuehl@gmail.com

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

|September 21, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cortisol rapidly accelerates learning in trace eyeblink conditioning within minutes, suggesting a fast, non-genomic mechanism. This contrasts with previously known slower, genomic effects of cortisol on learning.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Endocrinology

Background:

Cortisol's impairing effects on learning are known, typically appearing 30 minutes to hours after administration, suggesting genomic mechanisms.
Previous research primarily focused on slower, genomic actions of cortisol on learning performance.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate rapid, non-genomic effects of cortisol on human learning.
To examine cortisol's influence on the speed of trace eyeblink conditioning.

Main Methods:

Young healthy males (n=24) received metyrapone to block endogenous cortisol synthesis.
Intravenous infusion of 2mg cortisol or placebo preceded trace eyeblink conditioning.
Conditioned eyeblink responses were measured electromyographically.

Main Results:

Cortisol significantly accelerated the increase in conditioning probability (p=.02) within the first 10 minutes.
The accelerated conditioning reached placebo levels later in the task.
This indicates cortisol affects the speed, not just the amount, of learning.

Conclusions:

Cortisol can exert rapid effects on learning, observable within minutes.
A fast, non-genomic mechanism is proposed for cortisol's acceleration of trace eyeblink conditioning.
This rapid action may be an adaptive component of the early stress response.