Title: Effects of Stress on Memory and the Hippocampus | Sanesco Health
Headings: Effects of Stress on Memory and the Hippocampus
Effects of Stress on Memory and the Hippocampus
Stress and the HPA Axis
Effects of Stress on the Hippocampus
Effects of Stress on Memory and Damage to the Hippocampus
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Sophie Thompson
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Content: There are corticosteroid (cortisol) receptors all over the hippocampus, which is why stress can so readily impede this part of the brain. 7
The two important receptors to know are called MRs (mineralocorticoid receptors) and GRs (glucocorticoid receptors). MRs have a high affinity for cortisol and are bound to cortisol even when a stress response isn’t occurring, which is necessary for normal hippocampus function and flow of information. 8 GRs have much less affinity for cortisol and are typically only activated when cortisol levels are high (when you are stressed). When GRs are activated, the neuronal formation of new memories is suppressed. 9
This balance of cortisol promoting information flow but hindering hippocampus function during times of stress is necessary for a healthy response to stress. Effects of Stress on Memory and Damage to the Hippocampus
Chronic stress can cause long-term damage to the hippocampus. In fact, the hippocampus itself has been shown to shrink in size in people suffering from an ongoing HPA axis stress response. 10
Nerve cells, the body’s way of conducting information and signals from one part to another, are typically highly branched or elongated. Stress causes reduced nerve branching and development and even causes nerve cell death in the hippocampus.