Stress and emotional memory retrieval: effects of sex and cortisol response

Tony W Buchanan; Daniel Tranel

doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2007.07.003

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Stress and emotional memory retrieval: effects of sex and cortisol response

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Stress and emotional memory retrieval: effects of sex and cortisol response

Tony W Buchanan and Daniel Tranel

Neurobiology of learning and memory, Vol.89(2), pp.134-141

02/2008

DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2007.07.003

PMCID: PMC2246095

PMID: 17702612

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Abstract

In some situations, memory is enhanced by stressful experience, while in others, it is impaired. The specific components of the stress-response that may result in these differing effects remain unclear, and the current study sought to address this knowledge gap. Forty healthy participants (20 women, 20 men) were exposed to emotionally arousing and neutral pictures. Twenty-four hours later, 20 participants underwent a social stressor (speech and math tests), and 20 underwent a control reading task, both followed by a delayed free recall task. Cortisol responders to the stress condition (5 men and 1 woman) showed reduced memory retrieval for both neutral and emotionally arousing pictures. Men and women in the stress condition who did not produce a cortisol response showed increased retrieval of unpleasant pictures compared to controls. The results provide further evidence that cortisol is a primary effector in the stress-induced memory retrieval deficit. At the same time, stress can enhance memory retrieval performance, especially for emotional stimuli, when the cortisol response is absent.

Severity of Illness Index

Mental Recall

Affect - physiology

Humans

Hydrocortisone - metabolism

Male

Saliva - chemistry

Stress, Psychological - psychology

Neuropsychological Tests

Stress, Psychological - metabolism

Adolescent

Hydrocortisone - analysis

Sex Factors

Electrocardiography

Heart Rate - physiology

Adult

Female

Photic Stimulation

Recognition (Psychology)

Memory - physiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Stress and emotional memory retrieval: effects of sex and cortisol response
Creators: Tony W Buchanan - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, USA. Tbuchan7@slu.edu
Daniel Tranel
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Neurobiology of learning and memory, Vol.89(2), pp.134-141
DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2007.07.003
PMID: 17702612
PMCID: PMC2246095
NLM abbreviation: Neurobiol Learn Mem
ISSN: 1074-7427
eISSN: 1095-9564
Publisher: Elsevier BV; United States
Grant note: R03 MH076815 / NIMH NIH HHS MH076815 / NIMH NIH HHS R01 DA022549-02 / NIDA NIH HHS R01 MH067681 / NIMH NIH HHS DA022549 / NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA022549 / NIDA NIH HHS MH067681 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 02/2008
Academic Unit: Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984002405102771

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