Imagine you’ve spent weeks preparing for an important exam. As the day arrives, you sit nervously, waiting for your teacher to hand out the test. As you work through the questions, you come across one asking you to define ‘ataraxia.’ You know you’ve studied it, but suddenly, your mind goes blank. What just happened? The answer lies in the intricate relationship between stress and memory.
There are various types and levels of stress, as well as different kinds of memory. Here, we’ll focus on how short-term stress affects your memory for facts. To understand this, let’s first explore how memory works. When you read, hear, or study something new, it becomes a memory through a three-step process. The first step is acquisition, which is when you first encounter new information. Each sensory experience activates specific areas in your brain. For these experiences to become lasting memories, they must be consolidated by the hippocampus, with the amygdala playing a role by emphasizing experiences tied to strong emotions. The hippocampus encodes these memories, likely by strengthening the synaptic connections formed during the initial experience. Once encoded, memories can be retrieved later, with the prefrontal cortex likely signaling for their retrieval.
So, how does stress influence these stages? In the initial stages, moderate stress can actually aid in forming memories. When you encounter stress, your brain releases hormones called corticosteroids, which activate a threat detection and response process in the amygdala. This prompts the hippocampus to consolidate the stress-inducing experience into a memory. The corticosteroids also stimulate the hippocampus, further aiding memory consolidation.
However, while some stress can be beneficial, extreme and chronic stress can have the opposite effect. Researchers have studied this by injecting rats with stress hormones. Initially, as the dose of corticosteroids increased, the rats’ memory performance improved, but it declined at higher doses. In humans, moderate stress can have a similar positive effect, but only when the stress is related to the memory task. For example, time pressure might help you memorize a list, but a sudden scare from a friend won’t. Chronic stress, which leads to prolonged corticosteroid exposure, can damage the hippocampus and hinder your ability to form new memories.
Unfortunately, stress doesn’t help with remembering facts. Memory retrieval relies on the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for thought, attention, and reasoning. When corticosteroids stimulate the amygdala, it inhibits the prefrontal cortex. This inhibition allows the fight/flight/freeze response to take precedence over slower, more reasoned thought in dangerous situations. However, this can also cause your mind to go blank during a test. The stress of trying to remember can trigger more corticosteroid release, creating a cycle that further reduces your chances of recalling information.
So, how can you use stress to your advantage and remain calm when it matters most? If you anticipate a stressful situation like a test, try preparing in conditions similar to the actual environment. Novelty can be a stressor, so practicing under time constraints or at a desk rather than on a couch can make your stress response less sensitive during the test.
Exercise is another effective tool. Increasing your heart and breathing rate is linked to chemical changes in your brain that help reduce anxiety and boost your sense of well-being. Regular exercise is also believed to improve sleep patterns, which is beneficial the night before a test. On the test day, deep breathing can counteract your body’s fight/flight/freeze response. Deep breathing exercises have shown to reduce test anxiety in various groups, from young students to nursing students.
So, the next time your mind goes blank at a crucial moment, take a few deep breaths until you recall ‘ataraxia’: a state of calmness, free from anxiety.
Engage in a simulation exercise where you experience different levels of stress while trying to memorize a list of words. Reflect on how stress levels affect your ability to recall information. Discuss your findings with classmates to understand the variability in stress responses.
Participate in a role-playing game where each student represents a part of the brain involved in memory processing (e.g., hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex). Act out the process of acquiring, consolidating, and retrieving memories under varying stress conditions to better understand the roles and interactions of these brain regions.
Attend a workshop focused on stress management techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and exercise. Practice these techniques and discuss how they can be applied to improve memory performance during exams or stressful situations.
Analyze case studies of individuals or groups who have experienced stress-related memory issues. Discuss the factors that contributed to their experiences and propose strategies that could have mitigated the negative effects of stress on their memory.
Prepare a presentation on the role of corticosteroids in stress and memory. Include recent research findings and discuss how these hormones can both aid and hinder memory processes. Present your findings to the class and lead a discussion on potential implications for stress management strategies.
You spend weeks studying for an important test. On the big day, you wait nervously as your teacher hands it out. You’re working your way through when you’re asked to define ‘ataraxia.’ You know you’ve seen it before, but your mind goes blank. What just happened? The answer lies in the complex relationship between stress and memory.
There are many types and degrees of stress and different kinds of memory, but we’re going to focus on how short-term stress impacts your memory for facts. To start, it helps to understand how this kind of memory works. Facts you read, hear, or study become memories through a process with three main steps. First comes acquisition: the moment you encounter a new piece of information. Each sensory experience activates a unique set of brain areas. In order to become lasting memories, these sensory experiences have to be consolidated by the hippocampus, influenced by the amygdala, which emphasizes experiences associated with strong emotions. The hippocampus then encodes memories, probably by strengthening the synaptic connections stimulated during the original sensory experience. Once a memory has been encoded, it can be remembered, or retrieved, later. Memories are stored all over the brain, and it’s likely the prefrontal cortex that signals for their retrieval.
So how does stress affect each of these stages? In the first two stages, moderate stress can actually help experiences enter your memory. Your brain responds to stressful stimuli by releasing hormones known as corticosteroids, which activate a process of threat detection and response in the amygdala. The amygdala prompts your hippocampus to consolidate the stress-inducing experience into a memory. Meanwhile, the flood of corticosteroids from stress stimulates your hippocampus, also prompting memory consolidation.
But even though some stress can be helpful, extreme and chronic stress can have the opposite effect. Researchers have tested this by injecting rats directly with stress hormones. As they gradually increased the dose of corticosteroids, the rats’ performance on memory tests increased at first, but dropped off at higher doses. In humans, we see a similar positive effect with moderate stress, but that only appears when the stress is related to the memory task—so while time pressure might help you memorize a list, having a friend scare you will not. The weeks, months, or even years of sustained corticosteroids that result from chronic stress can damage the hippocampus and decrease your ability to form new memories.
It would be nice if some stress also helped us remember facts, but unfortunately, the opposite is true. The act of remembering relies on the prefrontal cortex, which governs thought, attention, and reasoning. When corticosteroids stimulate the amygdala, the amygdala inhibits, or lessens the activity of, the prefrontal cortex. The reason for this inhibition is so the fight/flight/freeze response can overrule slower, more reasoned thought in a dangerous situation. But that can also have the unfortunate effect of making your mind go blank during a test. The act of trying to remember can itself be a stressor, leading to a vicious cycle of more corticosteroid release and an even smaller chance of remembering.
So what can you do to turn stress to your advantage and stay calm and collected when it matters the most? First, if you know a stressful situation like a test is coming, try preparing in conditions similar to the stressful environment. Novelty can be a stressor. Completing practice questions under time pressure, or seated at a desk rather than on a couch, can make your stress response to these circumstances less sensitive during the test itself.
Exercise is another useful tool. Increasing your heart and breathing rate is linked to chemical changes in your brain that help reduce anxiety and increase your sense of well-being. Regular exercise is also widely thought to improve sleeping patterns, which comes in handy the night before a test. And on the actual test day, try taking deep breaths to counteract your body’s flight/fight/freeze response. Deep breathing exercises have shown measurable reduction in test anxiety in groups ranging from third graders to nursing students.
So the next time you find your mind going blank at a critical moment, take a few deep breaths until you remember ataraxia: a state of calmness, free from anxiety.
Stress – A psychological and physical response to certain life events or situations that challenge an individual’s ability to cope. – University students often experience stress during exam periods due to the high demands placed on their time and performance.
Memory – The cognitive process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information. – Effective study techniques can enhance memory retention and improve academic performance.
Anxiety – A mental health condition characterized by feelings of worry, nervousness, or unease about an imminent event or uncertain outcome. – Many students experience anxiety before giving presentations in class.
Hippocampus – A region of the brain associated with the formation and retrieval of memories. – Research shows that the hippocampus plays a crucial role in converting short-term memories into long-term ones.
Consolidation – The process by which short-term memories are transformed into long-term memories. – Sleep is essential for memory consolidation, which is why pulling all-nighters can be counterproductive.
Retrieval – The process of accessing and bringing stored information into conscious awareness. – Practicing retrieval through self-testing can significantly enhance learning and memory retention.
Exercise – Physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning the body. – Regular exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, improving overall mental health.
Well-being – A state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy, encompassing both physical and mental health. – Universities are increasingly focusing on student well-being by providing mental health resources and support services.
Cortisol – A hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress, playing a role in various bodily functions including metabolism and immune response. – Chronic stress can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which may negatively impact health and well-being.
Test – An assessment intended to measure the respondents’ knowledge, skills, or abilities in a particular area. – Preparing for a test by using active recall techniques can improve both understanding and retention of the material.
