Impact of Stress on Emotional Health and Cognitive Function

Background. Emotional stress can have both a positive effect, which is aimed at adaptation, and a negative one, which affects the higher integrative functions of the brain, and also leads to the development of numerous diseases. In this regard, the problem of establishing the influence of stress factors on the emotional state and cognitive function becomes relevant, which creates the prerequisites for a detailed analysis of the scientific data. Aim: to investigate the impact of chronic stress on emotional health and to determine the impact of stressful factors on human cognitive functions. Material and methods. The review included 63 articles, which have been selected using the following keywords: «chronic stress», «cortisol», «cognitive functions», «emotions», «memory», in the databases of scientific medical data PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. An analysis of the existing research results on the impact of stress on emotional health and cognitive functions was carried out. Results. Stress causes a multiple effect on the human nervous system, leading to structural changes in different parts of the brain such as atrophy and reduction of brain volume and mass with long-term consequences for the nervous system resulting in impaired cognitive abilities and memory. Alteration of neuronal plasticity, caused by chronic stress, due to dendrite atrophy and decreased spinal density may underlie the depressive disorders. Additionally, chronic inflammation, which also results from prolonged stress, can develop depression and disturb cognitive functions. The hippocampus contains the high density of glucocorticoids receptors, thus increased basal concentration of cortisol may result in functional and structural changes in the hippocampus with atrophy and impaired neurogenesis. Chronic stress can affect cognitive function both acutely and chronically. The acute effect is caused by beta-adrenergic effects, while the chronic effect is caused by long-term changes in gene expression mediated by steroid hormones. Conclusion. Chronic stress with an increased basal concentration of glucocorticoids affects the hippocampus leading to impaired memory, cognition, and thinking, also increases risk of depression, anxiety disorders.