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Related Experiment Videos

Stress and cognitive function

B S McEwen1, R M Sapolsky

  • 1Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021-6399, USA.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|April 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Stress rapidly impacts cognition through catecholamines and slowly via glucocorticoids, affecting memory and brain structures like the hippocampus and amygdala.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Stress impacts cognitive functions through distinct rapid and slow pathways.
  • Catecholamines and glucocorticoids are key mediators of stress-induced cognitive changes.
  • Glucocorticoids influence synaptic plasticity and dendritic structure, while catecholamines affect memory-related brain regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which stress, mediated by catecholamines and glucocorticoids, affects cognitive processes.
  • To differentiate the roles of catecholamines and glucocorticoids in memory consolidation and retrieval.
  • To investigate the neural substrates underlying stress-related cognitive impairments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on stress, cognition, catecholamines, and glucocorticoids.
  • Analysis of studies examining the effects of stress on synaptic plasticity and neuronal structure.
  • Examination of evidence linking specific brain regions (hippocampus, amygdala) to stress-induced memory deficits.

Main Results:

  • Rapid stress effects involve catecholamines acting via beta adrenergic receptors and glucose availability.
  • Slower glucocorticoid actions biphasically modulate synaptic plasticity and induce long-term dendritic changes.
  • Prolonged stress can lead to neuronal loss, particularly in the hippocampus, impacting declarative memory.
  • Stress-induced catecholamine effects on emotional memories are linked to amygdala function.

Conclusions:

  • Glucocorticoid-related cognitive impairments in declarative memory are associated with hippocampal changes.
  • Stress-induced catecholamine effects on emotional memories are postulated to involve the amygdala.
  • Understanding these distinct pathways is crucial for addressing stress-related cognitive dysfunction.

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