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New publication about the negative effects of acute stress on decision-making

News item | 04-10-2024 | 09:47

PhD candidate Lukas van Herk, along with colleagues, has published a new article on how acute stress affects decision-making, the role of the brain in this process, and how we can prevent these effects.

To illustrate
Image: ©EC

Research aims

In the daily activities of military personnel or during deployments, situations may arise where decisions need to be made. These decisions can have significant consequences. It is therefore crucial that these decisions are made as effectively as possible. Stress can impact the brain processes involved in decision-making. The current literature review examines the influence of stress on decision-making in the brains of both animals and humans. In addition, the study explores whether there are medications that may counteract the negative effects of stress on decision-making.

Results

Data from 44 articles have indicated that four processes are involved in decision-making: cognitive, motivational, affective, and predictability. Stress can occur in two ways: physically (through the SAM axis) or hormonally (through the HPA axis). Physical stress almost always has a negative effect on decision-making, whereas hormonal stress appears to enhance emotional decision-making, leading to decisions made with more empathy. In the brain, these four types of decision-making are clearly visible. Physical stress primarily affects the prefrontal cortex, while hormonal stress has more impact on the basal ganglia and the amygdala.
Furthermore, a few drugs have been found that could potentially counteract the effects of stress. Literature suggests that the effects of physical stress may be reduced by prazosine and propranolol, while the effects of hormonal stress can be mitigated by antalarmin.

b. Cross-sections of the human (top) and rodent (bottom) brain are depicted. Brain regions that play a significant role in the four types of decision-making are depicted using four different colors. Finally, it is indicated whether these brain regions are influenced by physical and/or hormonal stress.
Image: ©Neurobiology of Stress
a. Brain areas of the human (top) and rodent (bottom) brain are depicted. The colored areas play an important role in the four different types of decision-making: cognitive (blue), motivational (red), affective (purple), and predictability (green). The ‘+’ symbol indicates that the brain region is affected by physical stress, while the ‘#’ symbol indicates that the brain region is affected by hormonal stress.

The literature review clearly shows that stress in general has a negative impact on decision-making. These findings are based on studies involving civilians or animal experiments. In a military context, the negative effects of stress on decision-making could have disastrous consequences. In order to gain more insight into the effects of acute stress on decision-making in military personnel, more studies need to be conducted in this area. The possibility of preventing the negative effects of both physical and hormonal stress with medication offers promising avenues for future investigation.

Conclusions

The literature review clearly shows that stress in general has a negative impact on decision-making. These findings are based on studies involving civilians or animal experiments. In a military context, the negative effects of stress on decision-making could have disastrous consequences. In order to gain more insight into the effects of acute stress on decision-making in military personnel, more studies need to be conducted in this area. The possibility of preventing the negative effects of both physical and hormonal stress with medication offers promising avenues for future investigation.