title: Prenatal psychosocial stress exposure is associated with subsequent working memory performance in young women.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the association between prenatal psychosocial stress exposure and subsequent prefrontal cortex-dependent working memory performance in human adults. Working memory performance was assessed using an item-recognition task under 10 mg hydrocortisone (cortisol) and placebo conditions in a sample of 32 healthy young women (mean age = 25 +/- 4.34 years) whose mothers experienced a major negative life event during their pregnancy (Prenatal Stress, PS group), and in a comparison group of 27 healthy young women (mean age = 24 +/- 3.4 years). The two groups did not differ in the placebo condition, however, subjects in the PS group showed longer reaction times after hydrocortisone administration compared with subjects in the comparison group (p = .02). These findings provide support for an association between prenatal stress exposure and the potential modulatory effect of cortisol on working memory performance in young adults, which may reflect compromised development of the prefrontal cortex in prenatal life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Theoretical and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Entringer
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buss
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumsta
authors.forename: Dirk H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hellhammer
authors.forename: Pathik D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Wadhwa
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wüst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011930:Reaction Time; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D027544:Salvia / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D006854:Hydrocortisone