The effects of acute stress on human prefrontal working memory systems

Anthony J. Porcelli; Daniel Cruz; Karen Wenberg; Michael D. Patterson; Bharat B. Biswal; Bart Rypma

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.04.027

The effects of acute stress on human prefrontal working memory systems

Anthony J. Porcelli, Daniel Cruz, Karen Wenberg, Michael D. Patterson, Bharat B. Biswal, Bart Rypma

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

88 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examined the relationship between acute stress and prefrontal-cortex (PFC) based working memory (WM) systems using behavioral (Experiment 1) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI; Experiment 2) paradigms. Subjects performed a delayed-response item-recognition task, with alternating blocks of high and low WM demand trials. During scanning, participants performed this task under three stress conditions: cold stress (induced by cold-water hand-immersion), a room temperature water control (induced by tepid-water hand-immersion), and no-water control (no hand-immersion). Performance was affected by WM demand, but not stress. Cold stress elicited greater salivary cortisol readings in behavioral subjects, and greater PFC signal change in fMRI subjects, than control conditions. These results suggest that, under stress, increases in PFC activity may be necessary to mediate cognitive processes that maintain behavioral organization.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	282-289
Number of pages	8
Journal	Physiology and Behavior
Volume	95
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.04.027
State	Published - Oct 20 2008
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Behavioral Neuroscience

Keywords

Amygdala
Cognition
Cold
Cortisol
PFC
Stress
Working memory

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10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.04.027

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title = "The effects of acute stress on human prefrontal working memory systems",

abstract = "We examined the relationship between acute stress and prefrontal-cortex (PFC) based working memory (WM) systems using behavioral (Experiment 1) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI; Experiment 2) paradigms. Subjects performed a delayed-response item-recognition task, with alternating blocks of high and low WM demand trials. During scanning, participants performed this task under three stress conditions: cold stress (induced by cold-water hand-immersion), a room temperature water control (induced by tepid-water hand-immersion), and no-water control (no hand-immersion). Performance was affected by WM demand, but not stress. Cold stress elicited greater salivary cortisol readings in behavioral subjects, and greater PFC signal change in fMRI subjects, than control conditions. These results suggest that, under stress, increases in PFC activity may be necessary to mediate cognitive processes that maintain behavioral organization.",

keywords = "Amygdala, Cognition, Cold, Cortisol, PFC, Stress, Working memory",

author = "Porcelli, {Anthony J.} and Daniel Cruz and Karen Wenberg and Patterson, {Michael D.} and Biswal, {Bharat B.} and Bart Rypma",

note = "Funding Information: This study was supported by NIH grants MH61636 and AG029523 (BR). We thank the staff at the UMDNJ—Rutgers Advanced Imaging Center who contributed to this project. We would also like to thank Dr. Dane Cook for assistance in the design of this project.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.04.027",

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AU - Cruz, Daniel

AU - Wenberg, Karen

AU - Patterson, Michael D.

AU - Biswal, Bharat B.

AU - Rypma, Bart

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by NIH grants MH61636 and AG029523 (BR). We thank the staff at the UMDNJ—Rutgers Advanced Imaging Center who contributed to this project. We would also like to thank Dr. Dane Cook for assistance in the design of this project.

PY - 2008/10/20

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N2 - We examined the relationship between acute stress and prefrontal-cortex (PFC) based working memory (WM) systems using behavioral (Experiment 1) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI; Experiment 2) paradigms. Subjects performed a delayed-response item-recognition task, with alternating blocks of high and low WM demand trials. During scanning, participants performed this task under three stress conditions: cold stress (induced by cold-water hand-immersion), a room temperature water control (induced by tepid-water hand-immersion), and no-water control (no hand-immersion). Performance was affected by WM demand, but not stress. Cold stress elicited greater salivary cortisol readings in behavioral subjects, and greater PFC signal change in fMRI subjects, than control conditions. These results suggest that, under stress, increases in PFC activity may be necessary to mediate cognitive processes that maintain behavioral organization.

AB - We examined the relationship between acute stress and prefrontal-cortex (PFC) based working memory (WM) systems using behavioral (Experiment 1) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI; Experiment 2) paradigms. Subjects performed a delayed-response item-recognition task, with alternating blocks of high and low WM demand trials. During scanning, participants performed this task under three stress conditions: cold stress (induced by cold-water hand-immersion), a room temperature water control (induced by tepid-water hand-immersion), and no-water control (no hand-immersion). Performance was affected by WM demand, but not stress. Cold stress elicited greater salivary cortisol readings in behavioral subjects, and greater PFC signal change in fMRI subjects, than control conditions. These results suggest that, under stress, increases in PFC activity may be necessary to mediate cognitive processes that maintain behavioral organization.

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KW - Cognition

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KW - PFC

KW - Stress

KW - Working memory

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The effects of acute stress on human prefrontal working memory systems

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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