Unit:
Specialty Cognitive NeuroscienceLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Megalokonomou Anastasia
Supervisors info:
Νικόλαος Σμυρνής, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Κώστας Πόταγας, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Σωκράτης Παπαγεωργίου, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the cognitive functions: the effect of cortisol level on antisaccade task performance
Translated title:
The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the cognitive functions: the effect of cortisol level on antisaccade task performance
Summary:
The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is a basic neuroendocrine system that regulates Circadian Cortisol Rhythm. Findings indicate that cortisol affects multiple aspects of cognitive functioning. In the present thesis we examined the relation between performance in the antisaccade task (ANS), an oculomotor task that is considered to measure executive functioning, and cortisol levels throughout the day, depicting the diurnal cortisol rhythm. A sample of 21 participants aged from 18 to 33 was used. To measure cortisol levels, saliva sampling was done five times a day, whereas participants had to execute the antisaccade task three times a day. Results showed that ANS Performance, as measured by Reaction time (RT), RT Variability and Percentage of Correct Responses, improves during the day. Surprisingly, this improvement was not correlated to the expected and observed Diurnal Cortisol Variation. Our half-split analysis is valid evidence against the hypothesis that the observed improvement is the result of a practice effect, but further research should be done since there are different opinions in bibliography.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Antisaccade task, Diurnal cortisol curve, Salivary cortisol, Oculomotor tasks, Saccades
Number of references:
106
