YPIE Scientist: Danette Danquah

Research: The effects of acute stress, as measured by cortisol levels, in influencing synaptic plasticity through theta wave activity across varying age groups during short-term memory recall

Abstract:

Acute stress can impair cognitive performance and neural flexibility, particularly in areas of the brain involved in short-term memory. Studies suggest that stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which in turn affects neurophysiological markers of learning and memory. Synaptic plasticity, particularly in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, is often disrupted under stress, which may manifest differently across age groups. This study investigates the extent to which acute stress influences theta wave activity, a key neural indicator of synaptic plasticity, during short-term memory recall tasks in adolescents, young adults, and older adults.

Participants will be divided into three age groups (13–19, 20–39, 40–59). Each individual will undergo a modified cold pressor task to induce acute stress, followed by a verbal n-back task to assess short-term memory recall. EEG will be used to measure theta wave activity in the prefrontal and hippocampal regions, serving as a marker for hippocampal synaptic plasticity, while heart rate will serve as a proxy for cortisol-related stress levels. These methods are adapted from Shields et al. (2016) and Diamond et al. (2007), who used similar paradigms to examine stress and cognitive function.

It is expected that older adults will show the greatest disruption in theta wave activity and task performance under stress, while young adults may demonstrate moderate resilience. Adolescents may show variable results due to developing stress regulation systems. Shields et al.(2016) found that acute stress impaired working memory most significantly in older adults, supporting this expectation.

This study aims to clarify how age modulates the neurocognitive effects of acute stress.

Presentation Slides