Effects of Chronic Stress on Cognitive Function - From Neurobiology to Intervention

Overview

Journal Neurobiol Stress

Date 2024 Sep 19

PMID 39295772

Authors

Milena Girotti

Sarah E Bulin

Flavia R Carreno

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Exposure to chronic stress contributes considerably to the development of cognitive impairments in psychiatric disorders such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and addictive behavior. Unfortunately, unlike mood-related symptoms, cognitive impairments are not effectively treated by available therapies, a situation in part resulting from a still incomplete knowledge of the neurobiological substrates that underly cognitive domains and the difficulty in generating interventions that are both efficacious and safe. In this review, we will present an overview of the cognitive domains affected by stress with a specific focus on cognitive flexibility, behavioral inhibition, and working memory. We will then consider the effects of stress on neuronal correlates of cognitive function and the factors which may modulate the interaction of stress and cognition. Finally, we will discuss intervention strategies for treatment of stress-related disorders and gaps in knowledge with emerging new treatments under development. Understanding how cognitive impairment occurs during exposure to chronic stress is crucial to make progress towards the development of new and effective therapeutic approaches.

References

Miyazaki K, Miyazaki K, Doya K . Activation of the central serotonergic system in response to delayed but not omitted rewards. Eur J Neurosci. 2010; 33(1):153-60. PMC: 3040841. DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07480.x. View

Arnsten A, Cai J, Goldman-Rakic P . The alpha-2 adrenergic agonist guanfacine improves memory in aged monkeys without sedative or hypotensive side effects: evidence for alpha-2 receptor subtypes. J Neurosci. 1988; 8(11):4287-98. PMC: 6569464. View

Schippers M, Schetters D, de Vries T, Pattij T . Differential effects of the pharmacological stressor yohimbine on impulsive decision making and response inhibition. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016; 233(14):2775-85. PMC: 4917594. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4337-3. View

Ettman C, Abdalla S, Cohen G, Sampson L, Vivier P, Galea S . Prevalence of Depression Symptoms in US Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2020; 3(9):e2019686. PMC: 7489837. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19686. View

Moore H, Rose H, Grace A . Chronic cold stress reduces the spontaneous activity of ventral tegmental dopamine neurons. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2001; 24(4):410-9. DOI: 10.1016/S0893-133X(00)00188-3. View

Donegan J, Girotti M, Weinberg M, Morilak D . A novel role for brain interleukin-6: facilitation of cognitive flexibility in rat orbitofrontal cortex. J Neurosci. 2014; 34(3):953-62. PMC: 3891970. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3968-13.2014. View

Gallagher P, Massey A, Young A, McAllister-Williams R . Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on executive function in healthy male volunteers. BMC Psychiatry. 2003; 3:10. PMC: 184453. DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-3-10. View

Cerne R, Lippa A, Poe M, Smith J, Jin X, Ping X . GABAkines - Advances in the discovery, development, and commercialization of positive allosteric modulators of GABA receptors. Pharmacol Ther. 2021; 234:108035. PMC: 9787737. DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108035. View

Viola T, Creutzberg K, Zaparte A, Kestering-Ferreira E, Tractenberg S, Centeno-Silva A . Acute neuroinflammation elicited by TLR-3 systemic activation combined with early life stress induces working memory impairments in male adolescent mice. Behav Brain Res. 2019; 376:112221. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112221. View

10.

Fineberg N, Cinosi E, Smith M, Busby A, Wellsted D, Huneke N . Feasibility, acceptability and practicality of transcranial stimulation in obsessive compulsive symptoms (FEATSOCS): A randomised controlled crossover trial. Compr Psychiatry. 2023; 122:152371. DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152371. View

11.

Fucich E, Paredes D, Saunders M, Morilak D . Activity in the Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex Is Necessary for the Therapeutic Effects of Extinction in Rats. J Neurosci. 2018; 38(6):1408-1417. PMC: 5815344. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0635-17.2017. View

12.

Bourdeau I, Bard C, Noel B, Leclerc I, Cordeau M, Belair M . Loss of brain volume in endogenous Cushing's syndrome and its reversibility after correction of hypercortisolism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002; 87(5):1949-54. DOI: 10.1210/jcem.87.5.8493. View

13.

Acosta G, Otero Losada M, Rubio M . Area-dependent changes in GABAergic function after acute and chronic cold stress. Neurosci Lett. 1993; 154(1-2):175-8. DOI: 10.1016/0304-3940(93)90200-5. View

14.

Rogers R, Blackshaw A, Middleton H, Matthews K, Hawtin K, Crowley C . Tryptophan depletion impairs stimulus-reward learning while methylphenidate disrupts attentional control in healthy young adults: implications for the monoaminergic basis of impulsive behaviour. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1999; 146(4):482-91. DOI: 10.1007/pl00005494. View

15.

de Kloet E, Joels M . The cortisol switch between vulnerability and resilience. Mol Psychiatry. 2023; 29(1):20-34. DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01934-8. View

16.

Boulougouris V, Castane A, Robbins T . Dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonist quinpirole impairs spatial reversal learning in rats: investigation of D3 receptor involvement in persistent behavior. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008; 202(4):611-20. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1341-2. View

17.

Bogdan R, Pizzagalli D . Acute stress reduces reward responsiveness: implications for depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2006; 60(10):1147-54. PMC: 2288705. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.037. View

18.

Hendrawan D, Yamakawa K, Kimura M, Murakami H, Ohira H . Executive functioning performance predicts subjective and physiological acute stress reactivity: preliminary results. Int J Psychophysiol. 2012; 84(3):277-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2012.03.006. View

19.

Terry Jr A, Gearhart D, Warner S, Zhang G, Bartlett M, Middlemore M . Oral haloperidol or risperidone treatment in rats: temporal effects on nerve growth factor receptors, cholinergic neurons, and memory performance. Neuroscience. 2007; 146(3):1316-32. PMC: 1978102. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.03.003. View

20.

Caprioli D, Hong Y, Sawiak S, Ferrari V, Williamson D, Jupp B . Baseline-dependent effects of cocaine pre-exposure on impulsivity and D2/3 receptor availability in the rat striatum: possible relevance to the attention-deficit hyperactivity syndrome. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013; 38(8):1460-71. PMC: 3682140. DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.44. View