title: A low cortisol response to acute stress is related to worse basal memory performance in older people.
abstract: Age-related memory decline has been associated with a faulty regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the magnitude of the stress-induced cortisol increase is related to memory performance when memory is measured in non-stressful conditions. To do so, declarative and working memory performance were measured in 31 men and 35 women between 55 and 77 years of age. On a different day, the magnitude of their cortisol response to acute psychosocial stress was measured. The relationship between the cortisol response and memory performance was U shaped: a low cortisol response to stress was related to poorer declarative and working memory performance, whereas those who did not increase their cortisol levels and those who had the largest cortisol increase had better declarative and working memory capabilities. Sex did not moderate these relationships. These results suggest that a low cortisol response to stress could reflect a defective HPA-axis response to stressors that is accompanied by poorer memory performance. Conversely, a high cortisol response seems to reflect a correct functioning of the HPA-axis and may protect against memory deficits in the later stages of human life.
authors: Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain.
authors: Mercedes
authors: M
authors: Almela
authors: Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain.
authors: Vanesa
authors: V
authors: Hidalgo
authors: Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors: Leander
authors: L
authors: van der Meij
authors: Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain.
authors: Matías M
authors: MM
authors: Pulopulos
authors: Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain.
authors: Carolina
authors: C
authors: Villada
authors: Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain.
authors: Alicia
authors: A
authors: Salvador
keywords: HPA-axis; acute psychosocial stress; cortisol; declarative memory; elderly; middle-age; older people; working memory