Working memory is differentially affected by stress in men and women

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2012.12.004

Behavioural Brain Research

Volume 241, 15 March 2013, Pages 144-153

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2012.12.004 Get rights and content

Abstract

Stress has been shown to influence working memory. However, sex differences and the potential impact of stimulus emotionality have not received much attention. In a first experiment the effects of stress on a neutral working memory (WM) paradigm were tested in male and female participants (Experiment 1). Experiment 2 employed the same paradigm but used emotional stimuli. For this purpose, healthy participants were exposed either to a stressful (Trierer Social Stress Test (TSST)) or to a non-stressful control condition. Subsequently, WM performance in an n-back task was assessed. In Experiment 1, single digits were used as stimuli, while in Experiment 2 neutral and negative pictures were additionally employed. Salivary cortisol and Alpha-Amylase (sAA) were measured before and three times after the treatment as a marker of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis- and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. In both experiments, stress caused a substantial cortisol and sAA increase. For WM performance (response time) a stress by sex interaction was apparent. Stress enhanced performance in men, while impairing it in women. In both experiments stress had no effect on response accuracy. No modulating effect of the emotional quality of stimuli on n-back performance was observed (study 2). The results indicate that the effect of acute stress on n-back performance differs between the sexes. In contrast to long-term memory, the influence of stress on WM appears not to be modulated by the emotionality of the employed stimuli if stimuli are potential targets as it is the case in the n-back task.

Highlights

► Two studies tested stress effects on working memory (n-back task) in men and women. ► The first study used neutral stimuli, the second used emotional stimuli. ► In both experiments a significant sex by stress interaction occurred. ► Stress enhanced n-back performance (reaction time) in men but impaired it in women. ► Stimulus emotionality did not interact with the stress effects.

Section snippets

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that no actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations exists that inappropriately influence their work.

Role of the funding source

This study was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) projects WO 733/6-2 and WO 733 11/1. The funding source did not influence on the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

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Research reportWorking memory is differentially affected by stress in men and women

Abstract

Highlights

Section snippets

Disclosure statement

Role of the funding source

Biological Psychiatry

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

Trends in Neurosciences

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Neurobiology of Aging

Brain Research

Brain Research

Biological Psychiatry

International Journal of Psychophysiology

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Trends in Neurosciences

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

International Journal of Psychophysiology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Biological Psychology

Physiology and Behavior

Neuroimage

Neuroimage

Biological Psychiatry

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Biol Psychol

Biological Psychiatry

Physiology and Behavior

Physiology and Behavior

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

Cognitive Psychology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Executive frontal functions

Experimental Brain Research

From cognitive to neural models of working memory

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences

Emotion, decision making and the orbitofrontal cortex

Cerebral Cortex

Acute stress alters auditory selective attention in humans independent of HPA: a study of evoked potentials

PLoS One

Stress potentiates early and attenuates late stages of visual processing

Journal of Neuroscience

Research report
Working memory is differentially affected by stress in men and women