Disrupted Connections: The Impact of Acute Stress on Memory Integration

The goal of this study is to better understand how stress impacts people's ability to learn across their experiences and link new information to what they already know. The investigators will compare performance on a memory task between stressed and non-stressed participants. This memory task requires people to integrate knowledge across learning experiences (think: having to "connect the dots", draw inferences, and generalize your knowledge to new situations and scenarios). Cortisol, the brain's primary stress hormone, will be measured at multiple points throughout the study to measure stress levels. The investigators hypothesize that:

1. Stress will disrupt performance on the memory task by interfering with memory processes that enable linking of related memories.
2. Higher cortisol levels, which reflect a greater stress response, will relate to greater deficits in memory performance across participants.

This research has broad implications for understanding how stress impacts the ability to learn and retain new information, particularly in high-stress environments like schools and workplaces. Additionally, this work may provide insights into the cognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with psychiatric disorders, where stress can worsen memory and learning challenges.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Stress; Control Condition
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Acute Stress; Behavioral: Non-Stress Control Task

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Nevada
    • Henderson, Nevada, United States, 89002-9776
      • Nevada State University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy adults
• aged 18-35 years
• speak fluent English
• have normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Exclusion Criteria:

• individuals who are pregnant
• exercise within 1 hour of the study session
• smoking within 1 hour of the study session
• consuming drugs or alcohol within 1 hour of the study session

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Acute Stress Condition; Participants randomized to the acute stress condition will complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated experimental method for inducing acute psychosocial stress. This condition will allow for us to evaluate our primary hypothesis.	Behavioral: Acute Stress; Participants randomized to the acute stress condition will complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated experimental method for inducing acute psychosocial stress. The TSST consists of a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute mock job interview and a 5-minute surprise mental arithmetic task, performed in front of a neutral panel of judges in professional attire.; Other Names: Trier Social Stress Test
Sham Comparator: Non-Stress Control Condition; Participants randomized to the non-stress control condition will complete a non-stressful task designed to parallel the structure of the Trier Social Stress Test without eliciting acute stress.	Behavioral: Non-Stress Control Task; Participants randomized to the control condition will complete a non-stressful task designed to parallel the structure of the Trier Social Stress Test without eliciting acute stress. They will have a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute description of their typical day or favorite hobby. This task is conducted without an evaluative panel, minimizing the potential for stress or anxiety.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Performance on A-C inference trials in the Paired Associative Inference Task	Performance on A-C inference trials of the memory task assesses memory integration across overlapping learning experiences.	During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Performance on directly learned pairs (A-B and B-C) in the Paired Associative Inference Task	Performance on directly learned pairs (A-B and B-C) evaluates basic associative memory.	During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Nevada State University
• Collaborators: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); University of Nevada, Reno
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Corey A Fernandez, PhD, Neuroscience, Nevada State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 26, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 7, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 5, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 27, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): July 9, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 4, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: memory; acute stress; memory integration; cognitive maps
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Psychological Tests
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2501-0392; 5P20GM103440 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified data, including demographic and outcome measures, will be made available to qualified researchers upon request after publication of findings. Data will be shared under a data use agreement via a secure repository such as Open Science Framework (OSF).

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No