Stress Sensitizes the Brain: Increased Processing of Unpleasant Pictures after Exposure to Acute Stress

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1511-1518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Weymar ◽  
Lars Schwabe ◽  
Andreas Löw ◽  
Alfons O. Hamm
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Recall Performance ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Control Procedure ◽  
Water Control ◽  
The Brain

A key component of acute stress is a surge in vigilance that enables a prioritized processing of highly salient information to promote the organism's survival. In this study, we investigated the neural effects of acute stress on emotional picture processing. ERPs were measured during a deep encoding task, in which 40 male participants categorized 50 unpleasant and 50 neutral pictures according to arousal and valence. Before picture encoding, participants were subjected either to the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT) or to a warm water control procedure. The exposure to the SECPT resulted in increased subjective and autonomic (heart rate and blood pressure) stress responses relative to the control condition. Viewing of unpleasant relative to neutral pictures evoked enhanced late positive potentials (LPPs) over centro-parietal scalp sites around 400 msec after picture onset. Prior exposure to acute stress selectively increased the LPPs for unpleasant pictures. Moreover, the LPP magnitude for unpleasant pictures following the SECPT was positively associated with incidental free recall performance 24 hr later. The present results suggest that acute stress sensitizes the brain for increased processing of cues in the environment, particularly priming the processing of unpleasant cues. This increased processing is related to later long-term memory performance.

Stress Elevates Frontal Midline Theta in Feedback-based Category Learning of Exceptions

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Paul ◽  
Marie-Christin Fellner ◽  
Gerd T. Waldhauser ◽  
John Paul Minda ◽  
Nikolai Axmacher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Category Learning ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Control Procedure ◽  
Feedback Processing ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Frontal Midline Theta ◽  
Category Knowledge

Adapting behavior based on category knowledge is a fundamental cognitive function, which can be achieved via different learning strategies relying on different systems in the brain. Whereas the learning of typical category members has been linked to implicit, prototype abstraction learning, which relies predominantly on prefrontal areas, the learning of exceptions is associated with explicit, exemplar-based learning, which has been linked to the hippocampus. Stress is known to foster implicit learning strategies at the expense of explicit learning. Procedural, prefrontal learning and cognitive control processes are reflected in frontal midline theta (4–8 Hz) oscillations during feedback processing. In the current study, we examined the effect of acute stress on feedback-based category learning of typical category members and exceptions and the oscillatory correlates of feedback processing in the EEG. A computational modeling procedure was applied to estimate the use of abstraction and exemplar strategies during category learning. We tested healthy, male participants who underwent either the socially evaluated cold pressor test or a nonstressful control procedure before they learned to categorize typical members and exceptions based on feedback. The groups did not differ significantly in their categorization accuracy or use of categorization strategies. In the EEG, however, stressed participants revealed elevated theta power specifically during the learning of exceptions, whereas the theta power during the learning of typical members did not differ between the groups. Elevated frontal theta power may reflect an increased involvement of medial prefrontal areas in the learning of exceptions under stress.

scholarly journals Effects of stress on human mating preferences: stressed individuals prefer dissimilar mates

2010 ◽  
Vol 277 (1691) ◽  
pp. 2175-2183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Lass-Hennemann ◽  
Christian E. Deuter ◽  
Linn K. Kuehl ◽  
André Schulz ◽  
Terry D. Blumenthal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Procedure ◽  
Approach Motivation ◽  
Presentation Of Self ◽  
Mating Preferences ◽  
Startle Magnitude ◽  
Effects Of Stress ◽  
Human Mating

Although humans usually prefer mates that resemble themselves, mating preferences can vary with context. Stress has been shown to alter mating preferences in animals, but the effects of stress on human mating preferences are unknown. Here, we investigated whether stress alters men's preference for self-resembling mates. Participants first underwent a cold-pressor test (stress induction) or a control procedure. Then, participants viewed either neutral pictures or pictures of erotic female nudes whose facial characteristics were computer-modified to resemble either the participant or another participant, or were not modified, while startle eyeblink responses were elicited by noise probes. Erotic pictures were rated as being pleasant, and reduced startle magnitude compared with neutral pictures. In the control group, startle magnitude was smaller during foreground presentation of photographs of self-resembling female nudes compared with other-resembling female nudes and non-manipulated female nudes, indicating a higher approach motivation to self-resembling mates. In the stress group, startle magnitude was larger during foreground presentation of self-resembling female nudes compared with other-resembling female nudes and non-manipulated female nudes, indicating a higher approach motivation to dissimilar mates. Our findings show that stress affects human mating preferences: unstressed individuals showed the expected preference for similar mates, but stressed individuals seem to prefer dissimilar mates.

Endothelin Receptor Blockade Blunts the Pressor Response to Acute Stress in Obese Men and Women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra C. Derella ◽  
Anson M. Blanks ◽  
Xiaoling Wang ◽  
Matthew A. Tucker ◽  
Chase Horsager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stress ◽  
Pressor Response ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Endothelin Receptor ◽  
Treatment Results ◽  
Endothelin 1 ◽  
Endothelin System ◽  
The Impact

Obesity is associated with dysregulation of the endothelin system. In obese individuals, an exaggerated pressor response to acute stress is accompanied by increased circulating endothelin-1. The impact of combined endothelin A/B receptor (ETA/B) antagonism on the stress-induced pressor response in overweight/obese individuals is unknown. Objective: To test the hypothesis that treatment with an ETA/B antagonist (bosentan) would reduce the stress-induced pressor response and arterial stiffness in overweight/obese compared to normal weight individuals. Methods: 40 participants [Normal weight (NW): n=20, BMI: 21.7 ± 2.4 kg/m2 & Overweight/obese (OB): n=20, BMI: 33.8 ± 8.2 kg/m2] were randomized to placebo or 125 mg of bosentan twice a day (250 mg total) for 3 days. Hemodynamics were assessed before, during, and after a cold pressor test (CPT). Endothelin-1 was assessed at baseline and immediately after CPT. Following a washout period, the same protocol was repeated with the opposite treatment. Results: The change from baseline in mean arterial pressure (MAP) during CPT following bosentan was significantly lower (p=0.039) in the OB group, compared to the NW group (OB: 28±12 vs LN: 34±15 mm Hg). Conclusions: These results suggest that ETA/B antagonism favorably blunts the pressor response to acute stress in overweight/obese individuals.

scholarly journals Working Memory Performance Under Stress

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-139
Author(s):  
Petra Luers ◽  
Malgorzata Schloeffel ◽  
Jens C. Prüssner
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Function

Abstract. Acute stress and chronic stress change the physiology and function of the individual. As one facet, stress and its neuroendocrine correlates – with glucocorticoids in particular – modulate memory in a concerted action. With respect to working memory, impairing effects of acute stress and increased levels of glucocorticoids could be expected, but empirical evidence on moderating effects of cortisol on working memory is ambiguous in human studies. In the current study, we thus aimed to investigate cortisol stress responses and memory performance. Older men and women (32 men, 43 women, aged 61–67 years) underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and performed the 2-back task before and after exposure to acute stress. In line with theoretical assumptions, we found that higher cortisol stress responses led to a decline of working memory performance in men. However, the opposite was evident for women, who appeared to benefit from higher stress responses. This effect was evident for accuracy, but not for reaction time. In conclusion, cortisol might mediate working memory alterations with stress in a sex-specific manner in older people. Possible mechanisms and causes for these sex differences put a focus on endocrine changes in the aging population that might lead to differential effects across the lifespan.

scholarly journals Who’s the boss: determining the control pathways of cardiovascular and cellular immune responses to acute stress

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 374-379
Author(s):  
Kate M. Edwards ◽  
Nathan B. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Mental Arithmetic ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Autonomic Response ◽  
Blood Pressure Responses

Acute stress responses are known to include increases in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as increases in the number of circulating immune cells, all of which are governed by the autonomic nervous system. This laboratory practical measures cardiovascular and circulating immune cell responses to a passive (cold pressor) and active (mental arithmetic) acute stress task in student participants. The results allow them to examine the different patterns of autonomic response they elicit (approximated by heart rate and blood pressure responses), and knowledge of these responses can then be used to infer the governing autonomic aspect of the increases in circulating immune cells from the results. This activity can be either adapted from teacher-led methods to inquiry, asking students to design the details of the acute stress tasks, or developed by asking students to design a follow-up experiment that could be used to provide direct evidence for their conclusions. Data collected provide a platform for teaching data analysis and interpretation, as well as critical thinking.

scholarly journals A social and physical stressor increases later punishment in healthy males

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yacila Isabela Deza-Araujo ◽  
Ulrike Rimmele ◽  
Lucien Gyger ◽  
Cora Aguirre ◽  
David Sander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Control Procedure ◽  
Water Test ◽  
Individual Variables ◽  
The Impact

Existing literature suggests that stress in early life can influence or trigger later aggressive and punishment behaviors during social interactions. However, only a few human studies have addressed this link in controlled experimental settings. Here, we assessed the impact of biological and behavioral markers of stress on economic and social interactions in healthy men using a between-group design. The Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (i.e., supervised hand immersion into cold water) was applied to one group of participants (n = 19), while a second group underwent the Warm Water Test (n = 21). After the stressor or control procedure, all participants played the Inequality Game, a paradigm in which they could engage in punishment, cooperative, or aggressive behaviors towards a fair and an unfair counterpart player. Compared to the control condition, participants in the stress condition engaged in more punishment behaviors towards the unfair player and less cooperative behaviors towards both players. Critically, higher levels of cortisol in the stress group were associated with more punishment behaviors towards the unfair player. In contrast, aggressive behavior did not differ between participants in the stress vs. control condition. Overall, our findings showed that situationally induced stress might facilitate punishment behaviors in provoking situations. Further research should elucidate the role of inter-individual variables that may encourage or prevent stress-related punishment in social contexts.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the socially evaluated cold-pressor group test (SECPT-G) in the general population

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Becker ◽  
Ursula Schade ◽  
Nicolas Rohleder
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Group Test ◽  
Cortisol Responses ◽  
Measurement Time Point ◽  
Cortisol Increase ◽  
Ice Water

Background In stress research, economic instruments for introducing acute stress responses are needed. In this study, we investigated whether the socially evaluated cold-pressor group test (SECPT-G) induces salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and/or cortisol responses in the general population and whether this is associated with anthropometric, experimental, and lifestyle factors. Methods A sample of 91 participants from the general population was recruited. Salivary cortisol and sAA levels were assessed prior to (t0), immediately after (t1), and 10 min after the SECPT-G (t2). Results A robust cortisol increase was found immediately after the SECPT-G, which further increased between t1 and t2. This was independent of most of the control variables. However, men showed a trend toward higher cortisol increases than women (p = 0.005). No sAA responses were found at all. However, sAA levels were dependent on measurement time point with highest levels between 9 pm and 9:30 pm. Participants who immersed their hands into the ice water for the maximally allowed time of 3 min showed higher sAA levels at all time points than participants who removed their hands from the water earlier. Conclusions We conclude that the SECPT-G is a good means of an acute stress test when cortisol—but not necessarily sAA—responses are intended.

Interoception, Stress, and Physical Symptoms in Stress-Associated Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 132-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Schulz ◽  
Dana Schultchen ◽  
Claus Vögele
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Axis ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Stress Effects ◽  
The Brain

Abstract. The brain and peripheral bodily organs continuously exchange information. Exemplary, interoception refers to the processing and perception of ascending information from the body to the brain. Stress responses involve a neurobehavioral cascade, which includes the activation of peripheral organs via neural and endocrine pathways and can thus be seen as an example for descending information on the brain-body axis. Hence, the interaction of interoception and stress represents bi-directional communication on the brain-body axis. The main hypothesis underlying this review is that the dysregulation of brain-body communication represents an important mechanism for the generation of physical symptoms in stress-related disorders. The aims of this review are, therefore, (1) to summarize current knowledge on acute stress effects on different stages of interoceptive signal processing, (2) to discuss possible patterns of abnormal brain-body communication (i.e., alterations in interoception and physiological stress axes activation) in mental disorders and chronic physical conditions, and (3) to consider possible approaches to modify interoception. Due to the regulatory feedback loops underlying brain-body communication, the modification of interoceptive processes (ascending signals) may, in turn, affect physiological stress axes activity (descending signals), and, ultimately, also physical symptoms.

Stress and Neuroimmunology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric S. Wohleb
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Molecular Signaling ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Stress Effects ◽  
Peripheral Immune Cells ◽  
The Brain

Stress is experienced when stimuli pose a perceived or actual threat to an organism. Exposure to a stressor initiates physiological and behavioral responses that are aimed at restoring homeostasis. In particular, stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, leading to release of glucocorticoids, and engages the autonomic nervous system, causing release of norepinephrine. These “stress hormones” have widespread effects, because most cells express respective receptors that initiate cell-type-specific molecular signaling pathways. In the brain, acute stress promotes neuronal activation, resulting in alertness and adaptive behavioral responses. However, chronic or uncontrolled stress exposure can have deleterious effects on neuronal function, including loss of synaptic connections, which leads to behavioral and cognitive impairments. Stress responses also influence the function of brain-resident microglia and peripheral immune cells that interact with the brain, and alterations in these neuroimmune systems can contribute to the neurobiological and behavioral effects of chronic stress. Ongoing research is aimed at uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms that mediate stress effects on neuroimmune systems, and vice versa.

scholarly journals Regularity extraction under stress: boosted statistical learning but unaffected sequence learning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eszter Tóth-Fáber ◽  
Karolina Janacsek ◽  
Ágnes Szőllősi ◽  
Szabolcs Kéri ◽  
Dezső Németh
Keyword(s):  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Serial Order ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Predictive Processing ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Stress Induction ◽  
Statistical Regularities

AbstractAcute stress can crucially influence learning and memory processes. One of the key processes underlying human learning and memory is the ability of our brain to rapidly detect and extract regularities from sensory input across time and space leading to effective predictive processing. Here, we aimed to get an in-depth look into the effect of stress on the acquisition of two aspects of regularity extraction. We examined whether and how stress affects (1) processes and learning of probability-based, statistical regularities and (2) serial order-based, sequential regularities in the same experimental design, and (3) explicit access to the acquired information. Considering that the acquisition of statistical regularities is a rapid process, we primarily focused on the early phases of the task. We induced stress with the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test in 27 young adults, while 26 participants were enrolled in the control group. Salivary cortisol levels and subjective ratings of affective states showed successful stress induction. After the stress induction, we measured regularity extraction with the cued Alternating Serial Reaction Time task. We found that stress promoted the acquisition of statistical regularities and did not alter the learning of sequential regularities. Post-block reports showed weaker explicit access to the sequential regularities in the stress group. Our results give a process-level understanding on how stress alters learning and memory functions related to predictive processes.

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