Differences by Sex and Genotype in the Effects of Stress on Executive Functions
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2020-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The aim of this project is to test the effects of an environmental factor (mild stress) on
prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the cognitive functions that depend on PFC (collectively called
executive functions [EFs]), and to test our predictions concerning how those effects differ
by biological factors (hormones and genotype). To test our hypotheses concerning mechanism,
the investigators will model the effects of mild stress on EFs pharmacologically. The purpose
is to pharmacologically model the effects of mild stress on the cognitive functions
(collectively called "executive functions" [EFs]) dependent on the frontal lobe. The
investigators would also like to investigate how gender differences and genotype mediate the
effect of methylphenidate (MPH) on EFs.