Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
Lifetime stress exposure, cognition, and psychiatric wellbeing in women
Anna Senft Miller1, Olivia Nop1, George M Slavich2
1Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
Abstract:
Objectives:Although life stress has been associated with worse cognitive and psychiatric functioning, few studies on this topic have examined these associations in older adults and no studies to date have assessed lifetime stress exposure in this context.Method:To address this important issue, we investigated associations between lifetime stress exposure, cognition, and psychiatric wellbeing in 44 women aged 60 and older who completed a comprehensive lifetime stress exposure inventory, two memory tasks, and a complete psychiatric assessment.Results:As hypothesized, greater acute and chronic lifetime stress exposure were both related to poorer psychiatric functioning and more somatic health complaints. Greater lifetime stress exposure was also associated with poorer subjective cognition as indicated by memory and thought problems but not objective indices of memory function.Conclusion:Screening for high life stress exposure may therefore help identify older women at increased risk of experiencing negative psychiatric and cognitive outcomes.
More Related Videos
07:59Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
Published on: June 14, 2019
06:15A Multiple Integrated Social Stress Model for Psychiatric Disorders in Female C57BL/6J Mice
Published on: July 15, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Types of Stressors
Catastrophes
Catastrophes refer to large-scale, unpredictable events that create overwhelming stress and a sense of threat. Examples include natural disasters like...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...