Stress can scramble your brain’s internal GPS, MRI study finds
Researchers found that the stress hormone cortisol impairs the brain's grid cells, which are responsible for spatial navigation. Participants given cortisol showed reduced navigation accuracy and less distinct brain activity patterns during virtual tasks.
Why it matters
This research provides a clearer link between chronic stress and cognitive decline, specifically regarding how stress affects the brain's internal mapping systems.
The stress hormone cortisol can interfere with the brain system that helps people navigate and stay oriented. Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany found that cortisol weakens the activity of grid cells, specialized nerve cells that are essential for spatial navigation.
The finding comes from an imaging study involving 40 participants who completed a virtual navigation task while researchers monitored their brain activity with MRI. When participants were given cortisol before the experiment, they had more difficulty finding their way, and the normally precise activity patterns produced by grid cells became much less distinct. The findings were published in PLOS Biology .
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