Problems Taking Tests While Stressed?

Stress worsens executive function and working memory, and acute stress in animal models temporarily decreases function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In humans, it is difficult to prospectively assess the effects of chronic stress and to determine whether cognitive problems disappear after stress is resolved. To learn more, researchers used functional MRI and assessed performance on an attentional set-shifting task in an unusual experimental group — 20 medical students preparing for a licensing examination who reported high stress levels and 20 matched controls.

Both groups were tested after the case subjects finished 4 weeks of exam preparation. Perceived stress in both groups predicted impairments in attentional shifts, which engaged the …