Stress and cognition

In response to stress, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are activated and stress-sensitive mediators are secreted. Animal research over many decades has established that stress and stress hormones have a profound impact on both brain function and structure. This topic in human populations has increasingly been the focus of more research over the past 20 years. The current Research Topic will focus on the most recent progress of knowledge on the relationship between stress and cognition in humans. More specifically, the following topics are encouraged:


1. The relationship between stress and cognition. Both causal analysis and correlation analysis are welcomed. For example, the effect of laboratory stress on cognition, including attention, learning, memory, decision making, and execution function as well as emotion functions.


2. Research on different types of stress are welcomed, including acute stress, chronic stress, early life stress, as well as stress related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


3. Both behavioral and brain imaging studies (such as ERP, fMRI and other modality) related to this topic are welcomed.


4. The relationship between cognition and stress-sensitive mediators (such as cortisol, norepinephrine, diurnal cortisol and cortisol awakening response, etc.) is welcomed.