What happens when stress hormone levels are too high?
In one study, we gave participants a medication that temporarily made their stress hormone levels higher than normal. We then tested their memory and found that their memory was impaired. So when stress hormone levels are very high, learning and remembering can be difficult. take home message Optimal memory function during everyday situations requires a healthy balance in stress hormone levels. Too few stress hormones can be just as bad for memory as having too many stress hormones. For normal memory function therefore, we need an optimal level of stress hormones circulating in our system and our brain. But…there are also times when high levels of stress hormones actually help to increase our memory.
