Effects of a single dose of cortisol on the neural correlates of episodic memory and error processing in healthy volunteers.

Rationale: Neuropsychological impairments seen in depression may be secondary to hypercortisolaemia. Repeated cortisol administration impairs episodic memory with an alteration in event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded during information retrieval. It is unclear whether such ERP effects are specific to episodic memory, or whether repeated cortisol administration is required. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a single dose of hydrocortisone on the neural correlates of episodic memory and error detection. METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects were treated with hydrocortisone (100 mg) or placebo orally, in a double-blind, two-way crossover study. ERPs were recorded during an episodic memory and a Stroop task, 1-3 h following the medication. RESULTS: Cortisol increased error rates during the Stroop task but had no effect on episodic memory. The magnitude of ERPs associated with incorrect response in the Stroop task between -250 ms and +500 ms post-response was increased by cortisol, with no effect on correct-response ERPs. There was no effect of cortisol on episodic memory-retrieval-dependent ERPs. CONCLUSIONS: Cortisol can impair not only episodic memory but also processes involved in error detection. In contrast to repeated cortisol administration, a single dose of cortisol... (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)