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

    Authors

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

    Comments

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    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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