How does chronic stress impact what we remember in our youth?

Chronic stress has a prominent impact on physiological, biological, and metabolic systems. Individuals subjected to cumulative life stressors have a higher risk for experiencing mental illnesses and other difficulties with cognitive functions. Adolescents show a higher sensitivity to stress and an increase in number of stressors. Historical and present racial discrimination in the U.S. has been associated with long-term stress and related to mental and physical health. Our current studies focus on memory systems shown in prior human and nonhuman animal studies to demonstrate heightened sensitivity to chronic stress. For example, one of our on-going studies examines how perceived racial discrimination as a chronic stressor impacts the micro and macro brain structure and function of memory systems. To achieve this, we assess changes in neural cellularity, brain volume and activity using imaging techniques including Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI, respectively. We also utilize behavioral measures to examine different memory systems (e.g., working memory and recognition memory) in adolescents who endorse perceived racial discrimination.  Other on-going studies use similar methods to examine the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on memory systems in adolescents.