Noise Stress Impairs Prefrontal Cortical Cognitive Function in Monkeys

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Abstract
EXPOSURE TO stress is thought to precipitate or exacerbate several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.1 This vulnerability may emerge from stress effects on higher cortical and limbic structures. In both animals2-5 and humans,6 exposure to acute, mild to moderate stressors can improve the associative memory functions of the hippocampus and amygdala. However, acute stress can also impair cognitive function. The pioneering studies of Broadbent7 and others showed that exposing human subjects to loud noise stress (>95 dB) improved reaction time on well-rehearsed or simple tasks, but impaired performance of more complex tasks, especially when the subjects experienced themselves as having no control over the stressor.8 Noise stress impaired the ability to sustain attention9 or inhibit prepotent responses on the Stroop interference test.10 As lesions to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) similarly impair sustained attention11 and response inhibition,12 these results suggest that stress may impair PFC cognitive function.