Force of
habit
Stress
hormones switch off areas of the brain for goal-directed behaviour
RUB
publication: Combination of two stress hormones is responsible
(July 25, 2012) Cognition
psychologists at the Ruhr-Universität together with colleagues from the
University Hospital Bergmannsheil (Prof. Dr. Martin Tegenthoff) have discovered
why stressed persons are more likely to lapse back into habits than to behave
goal-directed. The team of PD Dr. Lars Schwabe and Prof. Dr. Oliver Wolf from
the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have mimicked a stress situation in
the body using drugs. They then examined the brain
activity using functional MRI scanning. The researchers have now reported in
the Journal of Neuroscience that the interaction of the stress hormones
hydrocortisone and noradrenaline shut down the activity of brain regions for
goal-directed behaviour. The brain regions responsible for habitual behaviour
remained unaffected.
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Two stress hormones in use
In order to test the different
stress hormones, the cognition psychologists used three substances - a placebo,
the stress hormone hydrocortisone and yohimbine, which ensures that the stress
hormone noradrenaline stays active longer. Part of the volunteers received
hydrocortisone alone or just yohimbine, others both substances. A fourth group
were administered a placebo. Altogether, the data of 69 volunteers was included
in the study.