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Rimmele, U.* ; Besedovsky, L.* ; Lange, T.* ; Born, J.

Emotional memory can be persistently weakened by suppressing cortisol during retrieval.

Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 119, 102-107 (2015)
DOI PMC
Open Access Green möglich sobald Postprint bei der ZB eingereicht worden ist.
Cortisol's effects on memory follow an inverted U-shaped function such that memory retrieval is impaired with very low concentrations, presumably due to insufficient activation of high-affine mineralocorticoid receptors (MR), or with very high concentrations, due to predominant low-affine glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation. Through corresponding changes in re-encoding, the retrieval effect of cortisol might translate into a persistent change of the retrieved memory. We tested whether partial suppression of morning cortisol synthesis by metyrapone, leading to intermediate, circadian nadir-like levels with presumed predominant MR activation, improves retrieval, particularly of emotional memory, and persistently changes the memory. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, within-subject cross-over design, 18 men were orally administered metyrapone (1g) vs. placebo at 4:00 AM to suppress the morning cortisol rise. Retrieval of emotional and neutral texts and pictures (learned 3 days earlier) was assessed 4 hours after substance administration, and a second time one week later. Metyrapone suppressed endogenous cortisol release to circadian nadir-equivalent levels at the time of retrieval testing. Contrary to our expectations, metyrapone significantly impaired free recall of emotional texts (p < .05), whereas retrieval of neutral texts or pictures remained unaffected. One week later, participants still showed lower memory for emotional texts in the metyrapone than placebo condition (p < .05). Our finding, that suppressing morning cortisol to nadir-like concentrations not only impairs acute retrieval, but also persistently weakens emotional memories corroborate the concept that retrieval effects of cortisol produce persistent memory changes, possibly by affecting re-encoding.
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Publikationstyp Artikel: Journalartikel
Dokumenttyp Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Korrespondenzautor
Schlagwörter Cortisol ; Memory ; Metyrapone ; Recall ; Retrieval ; Suppression; Glucocorticoid-receptors; Mineralocorticoid Receptors; Declarative Memory; Dose-response; Rat-brain; Stress; Humans; Impairs; Corticosteroids; Reconsolidation
ISSN (print) / ISBN 1074-7427
e-ISSN 1095-9564
Zeitschrift Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Quellenangaben Band: 119, Heft: , Seiten: 102-107 Artikelnummer: , Supplement: ,
Verlag Elsevier
Verlagsort Amsterdam
Nichtpatentliteratur Publikationen
Begutachtungsstatus Peer reviewed
Institut(e) Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM)