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The associations among hippocampal volume, cortisol reactivity, and memory performance in healthy young men
Pruessner M, Pruessner JC, Hellhammer DH, Bruce Pike G, Lupien SJ.. Psychiatry research, 2007-03-28
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
In aged and pathological populations, reduced hippocampal volume is frequently described in association with impairment of hippocampus-dependent cognitive processes and chronically elevated cortisol levels. Recent studies in young healthy subjects show a negative association between hippocampal volume and memory. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations among hippocampal volume, cortisol levels and memory performance in a group of healthy young men. Hippocampal volume was determined by manual segmentation of high-resolution 3D Magnetic Resonance Images from 13 subjects. Stress-induced cortisol levels in response to the "Trier Social Stress Test" (TSST) as well as the cortisol response to awakening (CRA) over four weeks were assessed. Declarative memory performance was tested before and after exposure to the TSST. The results show that larger hippocampal volume was associated with a significantly stronger cortisol increase in response to the TSST and a significantly greater CRA. Moreover, larger hippocampal volume was associated with significantly lower memory performance before the TSST. Our results challenge the direction of the frequently observed relationships among hippocampal volume, cortisol reactivity and memory performance and question the relevance of findings in clinical and aged subjects for young healthy populations.
Key findings
- The results show that larger hippocampal volume was associated with a significantly stronger cortisol increase in response to the TSST and a significantly greater CRA.
- Moreover, larger hippocampal volume was associated with significantly lower memory performance before the TSST.
- Our results challenge the direction of the frequently observed relationships among hippocampal volume, cortisol reactivity and memory performance and question the relevance of findings in clinical and aged subjects for young healthy populations.
Study details
- Participants13
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 25 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychiatry research) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 13 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17395434) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 25 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 25 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Pruessner, M., Pruessner, J. C., Hellhammer, D. H., Bruce Pike, G., & Lupien, S. J. (2007). The associations among hippocampal volume, cortisol reactivity, and memory performance in healthy young men. Psychiatry research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.12.007
Vancouver
Pruessner M, Pruessner JC, Hellhammer DH, Bruce Pike G, Lupien SJ. The associations among hippocampal volume, cortisol reactivity, and memory performance in healthy young men. Psychiatry research. 2007. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.12.007. PMID: 17395434.
BibTeX
@article{pruessner2007-17395434,
author = {Pruessner, M. and Pruessner, J. C. and Hellhammer, D. H. and Bruce Pike, G. and Lupien, S. J.},
title = {{The associations among hippocampal volume, cortisol reactivity, and memory performance in healthy young men}},
journal = {Psychiatry research},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.12.007},
pmid = {17395434},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.12.007}
}
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