Title

Chronic self-perceived stress and set-shifting performance in undergraduate students

Authors

Authors

D. M. Orem; D. C. Petrac;J. S. Bedwell

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Stress

Keywords

cortisol; executive functioning; set-shifting; stress; trail-making; LEVEL CORTISOL TREATMENT; DECLARATIVE MEMORY; SELECTIVE ATTENTION; HIPPOCAMPAL ATROPHY; EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS; COGNITIVE FUNCTION; SOCIAL; STRESS; CORTICOSTEROIDS; HUMANS; HYDROCORTISONE; Behavioral Sciences; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Neurosciences

Abstract

Given recent findings on the potential for detrimental effects of chronic stress on the prefrontal cortex, additional research on the relationship between chronic stress and performance on executive functioning tasks (dependent on prefrontal functioning) is needed. Eighty-one undergraduate students completed a self-report measure of stress over the previous month (perceived stress scale - PSS) and the comprehensive trail-making test (CTMT, Trials 3 and 5). Results revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between PSS score and time needed to complete Trial 5 of the CTMT, which places demands on the set-shifting component of executive functioning. This finding adds to a growing body of work that suggests a relationship between chronic stress and executive functioning, and extends these findings to include set-shifting performance.

Journal Title

Stress-the International Journal on the Biology of Stress

Volume

11

Issue/Number

1

Publication Date

1-1-2008

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

73

Last Page

78

WOS Identifier

WOS:000252352500007

ISSN

1025-3890

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