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Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
Acute stress impairs set-shifting but not reversal learning.
K A Butts1, S B Floresco, A G Phillips
1Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Canada.
Behavioural Brain Research
|June 15, 2013
Summary
Acute stress selectively impairs cognitive flexibility, specifically set-shifting tasks mediated by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This stress response disrupts the ability to adapt strategies, impacting behavioral flexibility.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Cognitive flexibility, including set-shifting and reversal learning, is crucial for adapting behavior to environmental changes.
- Acute stress is known to impair higher-order cognitive control tasks mediated by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the selective impact of acute stress on set-shifting versus reversal learning tasks.
- To determine if acute stress impairs medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-dependent cognition.
Main Methods:
- Rats were exposed to acute stress (15 min mild tail-pinch) immediately before cognitive testing.
- Performance was assessed using an automated operant chamber-based set-shifting and reversal learning task.
Main Results:
- Acute stress significantly disrupted performance on the set-shifting task.
- Rats exposed to stress required more trials and made more perseverative errors in set-shifting.
- No significant effect of acute stress was observed on reversal learning.
Conclusions:
- Acute stress selectively impairs cognitive flexibility, specifically the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-dependent set-shifting ability.
- Stress disrupts the inhibition of previously relevant cognitive strategies, highlighting a specific mechanism of cognitive impairment.
