Evening Cortisol Levels and Memory Deficits
Author Information
Author(s): H. Gilpin, D. Whitcomb, K. Cho
Primary Institution: University of Sheffield
Hypothesis
Does an atypical evening cortisol profile affect visual recognition memory in healthy individuals?
Conclusion
Atypical evening salivary cortisol levels are linked to early deterioration of recognition memory.
Supporting Evidence
- High evening cortisol levels correlate with poorer performance in visual recognition memory tasks.
- Subjects with high evening cortisol showed significant differences in memory tasks compared to those with low evening cortisol.
- Evening cortisol levels may disrupt sleep, which is important for memory function.
Takeaway
If your body makes too much cortisol in the evening, it can make it hard to remember things you just saw.
Methodology
Salivary cortisol levels were measured at three times during the day, and cognitive tasks were performed to assess memory.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to self-selection of participants who volunteered for the study.
Limitations
The study only included healthy female subjects, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Healthy women aged 22 to 66 years, mean age 40 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.005
Statistical Significance
p<0.005
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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