Memory under stress: testing the impact of cognitive training

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00025559

Enrollment

120

Registered

2021-06-24

Start date

2021-07-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-04-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Mainly basic science study focusing on the cognitive mechanisms of stress-induced changes in memory functions with regard to application-related contexts such as school or university and clinical disorders associated with stress (e.g. post traumatic stress disorder). To investigate these mechanisms, the intervention group receiving a training of prefrontal and medial-temporal brain areas will be compared to the active control group receiving a sham-control training, which is not expected to have

Interventions

Group 1: Sham control group without stress induction: Participants undergo six weeks of cognitive control training, which is not expected to have a specific effect on memory processes. Visual tasks ar

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 35 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: very good knowledge of the German language, no psychotherapeutic or neurological previous illnesses

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: - study of psychology - Psychotherapeutic, psychiatric, or neurological treatments - history of neurological or mental illnesses (e.g., neurological surgery, epilepsy or single seizures, head trauma) - diagnosed hypertension - prescriptive medication use - nicotine consumption - substance abuse - pregnancy

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
To investigate the modulation of stress-induced, memory-associated cognitive changes using behavioral cognitive training. Prior to training, various memory tests (memory recall, working memory, multiple memory systems) are completed followed by a cognitive training for six weeks. Here, either intervention tasks or active control tasks are completed by half of the participants. After training, the memory tests are completed again, this time following a stress induction or a control manipulation. This results in a total of four experimental groups. Physiological measures are recorded during the memory tests.	—

Measure

Time frame

To investigate the modulation of stress-induced, memory-associated cognitive changes using behavioral cognitive training. Prior to training, various memory tests (memory recall, working memory, multiple memory systems) are completed followed by a cognitive training for six weeks. Here, either intervention tasks or active control tasks are completed by half of the participants. After training, the memory tests are completed again, this time following a stress induction or a control manipulation. This results in a total of four experimental groups. Physiological measures are recorded during the memory tests.

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Improved understanding of potential preventive effects of a cognitive training on stress-induced memory decline.	—

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactKaja Loock

Universität Hamburg

kaja.loock@uni-hamburg.de+49 40 42838-2378

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026