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: The hippocampus, located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain, is necessary for cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and regulation of behavior. 5 It plays a key role in gathering and encoding information and then later retrieving that information. 6
During times of stress, your brain needs to focus on sensory stimuli and quick problem-solving, so hippocampus function is altered. This is part of why upon unexpectedly seeing a romantic interest or giving a public speech we forget simple things like our address or what we had for breakfast. The hippocampus is less functional during times of both acute and chronic stress. 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.