Stress Can Impair Memory

Ever blank out on an easy exam question? Blame it on stress. According to results of a study, stress can make it harder to remember facts and details stored in your brain. The finding suggests that memory might be impaired in a number of stressful situations besides exams, such as during job interviews and testimony on the witness stand, the study's authors explain. Dr. Dominique de Quervain, of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and colleagues based the results on memory tests performed on 36 healthy adults. Participants were asked to memorize 60 German nouns that were displayed on a computer screen for 4 seconds each. Later they had to write down as many of the words as they could remember. In another test, the participants had to pick out the original words from a larger list of words. To test the effect of stress on memory, cortisone tablets or placebo ("dummy") pills were given at various times during the tests. Cortisone raises blood levels of cortisol, a hormone produced during stressful situations. One hour after treatment with cortisone, cortisol levels in saliva were comparable to levels caused by major physical or psychological stress, the authors report. After taking a cortisone tablet an hour in advance, participants were not able to remember as many words as they could after they took a placebo pill, according to the report in the April issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience. Despite its effect on memory, however, cortisone did not appear to impair any other mental abilities. The researchers conclude that stress may have a detrimental effect in stressful situations in which memory is important, such as exams, job interviews, combat and courtrooms. SOURCE: Nature Neuroscience