Wolf O T
Department of Experimental Psychology II, University of Düsseldorf, Geb. 23.02, Ebene 01, Raum 43, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jun;17(2):287-99. doi: 10.1016/s1521-690x(02)00101-x.
The hormones of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis influence memory in situations of acute and chronic stress. The present review tries to summarize the current state of knowledge by describing the enhancing as well as the impairing effects of stress or glucocorticoid (GC) treatment documented in animals and humans. GCs secreted during the acquisition of a stressful task facilitate consolidation. However, acute stress (or GC treatment) unrelated to the task impairs performance. The effects of acute stress are additionally modulated by gender, age and the emotional valence of the learning material. Chronic stress in rodents has mostly impairing effects on memory and hippocampal integrity. However, other regions of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, are also sensitive to stress. In humans, similar observations have been reported in several patient populations as well as in older subjects. The potential to reverse these effects using behavioural or pharmacological approaches needs to be explored.
下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴的激素在急性和慢性应激情况下会影响记忆。本综述试图通过描述动物和人类中记录的应激或糖皮质激素（GC）治疗的增强和损害作用来总结当前的知识状态。在获取应激任务期间分泌的糖皮质激素促进巩固。然而，与任务无关的急性应激（或GC治疗）会损害表现。急性应激的影响还受到性别、年龄和学习材料的情感效价的调节。啮齿动物的慢性应激大多对记忆和海马完整性有损害作用。然而，大脑的其他区域，如前额叶皮层，也对应激敏感。在人类中，在几个患者群体以及老年受试者中也报告了类似的观察结果。需要探索使用行为或药理学方法逆转这些影响的可能性。
