Impact of stress on cognitive functions

ABSTRACT

This work was designed to study the effect of mental [exam] stress on the memory performance and on other cognitive functions. This was carried out through the evaluation of the cognitive aspects of 61 volunteer students [28 males and 33 females] during basal state by cognitive ability screening instrument [CASI] and Wechsler memory scale [WMS] together with an assessment of their anxiety levels by Hamilton anxiety scale and an estimation of the serum levels of catecholamines and cortisol. These estimates were reevaluated two months later immediately after exposure to mental [exam] stress. It was found that immediately after exposure to mental stress, there was a significant decline in all memory functions and total cognitive scales together with a significant increase in the perceived levels of anxiety symptoms and a significant rise in the serum levels of stress hormones. Stress hormones levels were found to have differential effects on memory and other cognitive functions with an end result of total impairment of these functions