StressNCT07055555
Disrupted Connections: The Impact of Acute Stress on Memory Integration
A study testing Acute Stress in people with Stress and Control Condition, run by Nevada State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to better understand how stress impacts people's ability to learn across their experiences and link new information to what they already know. The investigators will compare performance on a memory task between stressed and non-stressed participants. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress, Control Condition
- What is being tested?
- Acute Stress
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 26 Mar 2026to 31 Aug 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 35 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- healthy adults
- aged 18-35 years
- speak fluent English
- have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Who cannot join
- individuals who are pregnant
- exercise within 1 hour of the study session
- smoking within 1 hour of the study session
- consuming drugs or alcohol within 1 hour of the study session
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site
Nevada State University
Henderson, Nevada, 89002-9776
About this study
The goal of this study is to better understand how stress impacts people's ability to learn across their experiences and link new information to what they already know. The investigators will compare performance on a memory task between stressed and non-stressed participants. This memory task requires people to integrate knowledge across learning experiences (think: having to "connect the dots", draw inferences, and generalize your knowledge to new situations and scenarios). Cortisol, the brain's primary stress hormone, will be measured at multiple points throughout the study to measure stress levels. The investigators hypothesize that:
- Stress will disrupt performance on the memory task by interfering with memory processes that enable linking of related memories.
- Higher cortisol levels, which reflect a greater stress response, will relate to greater deficits in memory performance across participants.
This research has broad implications for understanding how stress impacts the ability to learn and retain new information, particularly in high-stress environments like schools and workplaces. Additionally, this work may provide insights into the cognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with psychiatric disorders, where stress can worsen memory and learning challenges.
- Conditions
- Stress, Control Condition
- Being tested
- Acute Stress, Non-Stress Control Task
- Keywords
- acute stress, memory, memory integration, cognitive maps
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Acute StressBehavioural
Also called Trier Social Stress Test
Participants randomized to the acute stress condition will complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated experimental method for inducing acute psychosocial stress. The TSST consists of a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute mock job interview and a 5-minute surprise mental arithmetic task, performed in front of a neutral panel of judges in professional attire.
Non-Stress Control TaskBehavioural
Participants randomized to the control condition will complete a non-stressful task designed to parallel the structure of the Trier Social Stress Test without eliciting acute stress. They will have a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute description of their typical day or favorite hobby. This task is conducted without an evaluative panel, minimizing the potential for stress or anxiety.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Stress Condition | Experimental | Participants randomized to the acute stress condition will complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated experimental method for inducing acute psychosocial stress. This condition will allow for us to evaluate our primary hypothesis. Receives: Behavioral: Acute Stress |
| Non-Stress Control Condition | Sham comparator | Participants randomized to the non-stress control condition will complete a non-stressful task designed to parallel the structure of the Trier Social Stress Test without eliciting acute stress. Receives: Behavioral: Non-Stress Control Task |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Performance on A-C inference trials in the Paired Associative Inference Task
Performance on A-C inference trials of the memory task assesses memory integration across overlapping learning experiences.
Measured: During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours
Secondary outcomes (1)
Performance on directly learned pairs (A-B and B-C) in the Paired Associative Inference Task
Performance on directly learned pairs (A-B and B-C) evaluates basic associative memory.
Measured: During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Jul 2025
- Study start26 Mar 2026
- Primary completion7 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Nevada State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), University of Nevada, Reno
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Corey A Fernandez, PhD, Neuroscience, Principal investigator, Nevada State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07055555
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2501-0392
- Other IDs
- 5P20GM103440
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Jun 2025
- Last updated
- 8 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified data, including demographic and outcome measures, will be made available to qualified researchers upon request after publication of findings. Data will be shared under a data use agreement via a secure repository such as Open Science Framework (OSF).
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Disrupted Connections: The Impact of Acute Stress on Memory Integration
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07055555
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2501-0392
- Conditions
- Stress, Control Condition
- Keywords
- acute stress, memory, memory integration, cognitive maps
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Nevada State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), University of Nevada, Reno
- Study start
- 26 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 7 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this study is to better understand how stress impacts people's ability to learn across their experiences and link new information to what they already know. The investigators will compare performance on a memory task between stressed and non-stressed participants. This memory task requires people to integrate knowledge across learning experiences (think: having to "connect the dots", draw inferences, and generalize your knowledge to new situations and scenarios). Cortisol, the brain's primary stress hormone, will be measured at multiple points throughout the study to measure stress levels. The investigators hypothesize that:
- Stress will disrupt performance on the memory task by interfering with memory processes that enable linking of related memories.
- Higher cortisol levels, which reflect a greater stress response, will relate to greater deficits in memory performance across participants.
This research has broad implications for understanding how stress impacts the ability to learn and retain new information, particularly in high-stress environments like schools and workplaces. Additionally, this work may provide insights into the cognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with psychiatric disorders, where stress can worsen memory and learning challenges.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Stress Condition | Experimental | Behavioral: Acute StressParticipants randomized to the acute stress condition will complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated experimental method for inducing acute psychosocial stress. This condition will allow for us to evaluate our primary hypothesis. |
| Non-Stress Control Condition | Sham comparator | Behavioral: Non-Stress Control TaskParticipants randomized to the non-stress control condition will complete a non-stressful task designed to parallel the structure of the Trier Social Stress Test without eliciting acute stress. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- healthy adults
- aged 18-35 years
- speak fluent English
- have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- individuals who are pregnant
- exercise within 1 hour of the study session
- smoking within 1 hour of the study session
- consuming drugs or alcohol within 1 hour of the study session
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Acute StressAlso: Trier Social Stress TestParticipants randomized to the acute stress condition will complete the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated experimental method for inducing acute psychosocial stress. The TSST consists of a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute mock job interview and a 5-minute surprise mental arithmetic task, performed in front of a neutral panel of judges in professional attire. | Behavioural | Acute Stress Condition |
| Non-Stress Control TaskParticipants randomized to the control condition will complete a non-stressful task designed to parallel the structure of the Trier Social Stress Test without eliciting acute stress. They will have a brief anticipation period followed by a 5-minute description of their typical day or favorite hobby. This task is conducted without an evaluative panel, minimizing the potential for stress or anxiety. | Behavioural | Non-Stress Control Condition |
Primary outcome
Performance on A-C inference trials in the Paired Associative Inference Task
Time frame: During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours
Performance on A-C inference trials of the memory task assesses memory integration across overlapping learning experiences.
1 secondary outcome
Performance on directly learned pairs (A-B and B-C) in the Paired Associative Inference Task
Time frame: During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified data, including demographic and outcome measures, will be made available to qualified researchers upon request after publication of findings. Data will be shared under a data use agreement via a secure repository such as Open Science Framework (OSF).
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Corey A Fernandez, PhD, Neuroscience principal investigator
Nevada State University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Acute Stress in people with Stress and Control Condition, run by Nevada State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Performance on A-C inference trials in the Paired Associative Inference Task (time frame: During the participant's study visit, anticipated 1-2 hours). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jun 2026.