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Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
Chronic stress impairs prefrontal cortex-dependent response inhibition and spatial working memory.
Agnieszka Mika1, Gabriel J Mazur, Ann N Hoffman
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287-1104, USA.
Behavioral Neuroscience
|August 22, 2012
Summary
Chronic stress impairs response inhibition and working memory in rats. These cognitive deficits, particularly in prefrontal cortex (PFC)-mediated behaviors, were observed using distinct behavioral tasks after prolonged stress exposure.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Stress Research
Background:
- Chronic stress induces neurochemical and structural changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
- These alterations are linked to deficits in behaviors regulated by the PFC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of chronic restraint stress on response inhibition and working memory in rats.
- To compare the effects of stress on these two distinct cognitive functions within the same animal cohort.
Main Methods:
- Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained on a radial arm water maze (RAWM) for working memory and a fixed-minimum interval schedule of reinforcement (FMI) for response inhibition.
- Rats underwent 28 days of daily 6-hour restraint stress or served as controls.
- Cognitive performance was assessed using FMI and RAWM immediately following the stress period.
Main Results:
- Chronic stress reduced response inhibition and motivation on the FMI task under specific conditions.
- Stress led to transient deficits in working memory on the RAWM, without affecting established reference memory.
- Correlations between FMI and RAWM performance differed between control and stressed groups.
Conclusions:
- Chronic stress impairs both response inhibition and working memory, highlighting its broad impact on PFC-dependent cognition.
- This study provides the first direct comparison of stress-induced deficits in these two behaviors using appetitive (FMI) and non-appetitive (RAWM) tasks.
- The findings underscore the detrimental effects of chronic stress on cognitive flexibility and executive functions.
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