Control Condition, Stress
Conditions
Keywords
acute stress, memory, memory integration, cognitive maps
Brief summary
The goal of this study is to better understand how stress impacts people's ability to learn across their experiences and link new information to what they already know. The investigators will compare performance on a memory task between stressed and non-stressed participants. This memory task requires people to integrate knowledge across learning experiences (think: having to "connect the dots", draw inferences, and generalize your knowledge to new situations and scenarios). Cortisol, the brain's primary stress hormone, will be measured at multiple points throughout the study to measure stress levels. The investigators hypothesize that: 1. Stress will disrupt performance on the memory task by interfering with memory processes that enable linking of related memories. 2. Higher cortisol levels, which reflect a greater stress response, will relate to greater deficits in memory performance across participants. This research has broad implications for understanding how stress impacts the ability to learn and retain new information, particularly in high-stress environments like schools and workplaces. Additionally, this work may provide insights into the cognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with psychiatric disorders, where stress can worsen memory and learning challenges.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAcute Stress
Participants randomized to the acute stress condition will complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated experimental method for inducing acute psychosocial stress. The TSST consists of a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute mock job interview and a 5-minute surprise mental arithmetic task, performed in front of a neutral panel of judges in professional attire.
BEHAVIORALNon-Stress Control Task
Participants randomized to the control condition will complete a non-stressful task designed to parallel the structure of the Trier Social Stress Test without eliciting acute stress. They will have a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute description of their typical day or favorite hobby. This task is conducted without an evaluative panel, minimizing the potential for stress or anxiety.
Sponsors
Nevada State University
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
University of Nevada, Reno
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* healthy adults * aged 18-35 years * speak fluent English * have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Exclusion criteria
* individuals who are pregnant * exercise within 1 hour of the study session * smoking within 1 hour of the study session * consuming drugs or alcohol within 1 hour of the study session
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Performance on A-C inference trials in the Paired Associative Inference Task | During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours | Performance on A-C inference trials of the memory task assesses memory integration across overlapping learning experiences. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Performance on directly learned pairs (A-B and B-C) in the Paired Associative Inference Task | During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours | Performance on directly learned pairs (A-B and B-C) evaluates basic associative memory. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCorey A Fernandez, PhD, Neuroscience
Nevada State University
Outcome results
None listed