Disrupted Connections: The Impact of Acute Stress on Memory Integration

NCT ID: NCT07055555

Last Updated: 2025-08-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 80 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-07-01
• Study Completion Date: 2027-07-31

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Stress; Control Condition

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Acute Stress

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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.

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.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Non-Stress Control Task

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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.

Interventions

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.

Intervention Type: 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.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Trier Social Stress Test

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Nevada, Reno

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Nevada State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Corey A Fernandez, PhD, Neuroscience

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Nevada State University

Locations

Nevada State University

Henderson, Nevada, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

5P20GM103440

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2501-0392

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id