Hormonal Symphony: The Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary and HPA Axis in Stress-Induced Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Stress is a prevalent aspect of contemporary living that has a variety of effects on cognitive performance. The body coordinates the stress response, which causes the release of cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress-related hormones, through the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. For the potential development of effective strategies to boost cognitive resilience and increase quality of life, it is imperative to comprehend the relationship between stress and cognition. It has also been shown that elevated cortisol levels impair memory and other cognitive functions inside the human brain. The primary brain regions impacted by stress are the prefrontal cortex, which controls attention and decision-making, and the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory formation. Potential pharmaceutical modulations that target the neuroendocrine stress response are also highlighted in this review. Understanding the relationship between stress and cognition is crucial, and this approach offers promising possibilities for maintaining cognitive viability under stress conditions by either modulating effects via stress hormones or even through specific neuroendocrine intervention. Given the extent of interaction between hormones released into the bloodstream, neurotransmitters, and important brain regions, it sparks interest in the mechanisms underlying stress-induced cognitive impairment.