Influence of Stress on Encoding and Prediction

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Stress; Learning, Spatial
• Interventions: Behavioral: Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test; Behavioral: Control

• Registration Number: NCT05920161
• Lead Sponsor: Yale University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the neural mechanisms by which acute stress influences statistical learning and episodic encoding.

Detailed Description

This study aims to assess the neural and behavioral mechanisms by which acute stress modulates episodic encoding (which involves the trisynaptic pathway: entorhinal cortex, dentate gyrus, cornu ammonis \[CA\] 3, and CA 1) and statistical learning (monosynaptic pathway: entorhinal cortex, CA1) in humans.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-03-02
• Study First Submitted: 2023-06-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-06-15
• Study First Posted: 2023-06-27
• Primary Completion: 2024-10-04
• Study Completion: 2024-10-04
• Status Verified: 2024-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-11-06
• Last Update Posted: 2024-11-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 106

Inclusion Criteria

• 18-45 years old
• Fluent in English
• BMI 18-35

Exclusion Criteria

• Meeting current DSM-V criteria for any substance use disorder (except caffeine)
• Having current significant medical conditions or psychiatric symptoms requiring medication
• Current use of medications/drugs that interfere with physiological stress responses
• Peri and post-menopausal women, pregnant or lactating women, and those with hysterectomies
• Metal in body (for MRI safety) history will be assessed for female participants.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Acute Stress	Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test	Participants complete the socially evaluated cold pressor test (SECPT), a validated laboratory-based stress induction procedure involving submerging an arm in an ice bath
No Stress	Control	Participants complete a matched condition with no stress-related exposure involving submerging an arm in warm water

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in fMRI signal	1-2 hours	fMRI signal during learning will be assessed using connectivity, multivariate, and univariate approaches over 1-2 hour long learning period
Statistical learning	1-2 hours	Online measures of statistical learning (reaction time) based on item predictability during task
Episodic memory	1 hour	Memory for individual items will be assessed through performance on old/new recognition tests the next day, quantified as hit rates and A' (non-parametric normalized ratio of hits to false alarms)
Retention of statistical learning	1 hour	Offline measure of statistical learning assessed through familiarity tests the next day (comparison of accurate recognition of previously-studied pairs to chance, 50%)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Cortisol reactivity	1-2 hours	Change in salivary cortisol levels following the SECPT/control procedure
Alpha-amylase reactivity	1-2 hours	Change in salivary alpha-amylase levels following the SECPT/control procedure

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Yale University; 🇺🇸 New Haven, Connecticut, United States