Article (Scientific journals)
Effects of basal and acute cortisol on cognitive flexibility in an emotional task switching paradigm in men
Dierolf, Angelika; Arlt, Lea Esther; Roelofs et al.
2016In Hormones and Behavior, 81, p. 12-19
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Keywords :
Executive function; Cognitive control; cogntivie flexibility; Emotional task switch; Cortisol; Non-genomic; Exogenous cortisol; Cortisol-awakening response; Basal cortisol
Abstract :
[en] The stress hormone cortisol is assumed to influence cognitive functions. While cortisol-induced alterations of declarative memory in particular are well-investigated, considerably less is known about its influence on executive functions. Moreover, most research has been focused on slow effects, and rapid non-genomic effects have not been studied. The present study sought to investigate the impact of acute cortisol administration as well as basal cortisol levels on cognitive flexibility, a core executive function, within the non-genomic time frame. Thirty-eight healthy male participants were randomly assigned to intravenously receive either cortisol or a placebo before performing a task switching paradigm with happy and angry faces as stimuli. Cortisol levels were measured at six points during the experiment. Additionally, before the experiment, basal cortisol measures for the cortisol awakening response were collected on three consecutive weekdays immediately following awakening and 30, 45, and 60 min after. First and foremost, results showed a pronounced impact of acute and basal cortisol on reaction time switch costs, particularly for angry faces. In the placebo group, low basal cortisol was associated with minimal switch costs, whereas high basal cortisol was related to maximal switch costs. In contrast, after cortisol injection, basal cortisol levels showed no impact. These results show that cognitive flexibility-enhancing effects of acute cortisol administration are only seen in men with high basal cortisol levels. This result supports the context dependency of cortisol administration and shows the relevance of taking basal cortisol levels into account.
Research center :
Universität Trier, Psychologie, Psychophysiologisches Labor
Disciplines :
Animal psychology, ethology & psychobiology
Author, co-author :
Dierolf, Angelika ;  University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education (FLSHASE) > Integrative Research Unit: Social and Individual Development (INSIDE)
Arlt, Lea Esther
Roelofs;  Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen > Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (DCCN)
Kölsch, Monika
Hülsemann, Mareike;  Université de Fribourg > Kognitive Biopsychologie und Methoden
Schächinger, Hartmut;  Universität Trier > Institut für Psychobiologie, Abteilung für Klinische Psychophysiologie
Naumann, Ewald;  Universität Trier > Psychologie ; Institut für Psychobiologie
External co-authors :
yes
Language :
English
Title :
Effects of basal and acute cortisol on cognitive flexibility in an emotional task switching paradigm in men
Publication date :
May 2016
Journal title :
Hormones and Behavior
ISSN :
1095-6867
Publisher :
Academic Press, San Diego, United States - California
Volume :
81
Pages :
12-19
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
International Research Training Group: “The Psychoneuroendocrinology of Stress” of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; GRK1389/1, Project H) and by the Research Focus “Psychobiology of Stress” within the research initiative of the state Rhineland-Palatinate by the Ministry of Science
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