Most students know a thing or two about learning while stressed. New research from Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany found that a certain type of cellular receptor is key to learning under pressure, according to a new study published in Biological Psychiatry. Mineralcorticoid receptors bind to molecules like the stress hormone cortisol. These receptors, the researchers found, signaled a shift from conscious to unconscious learning in people. When these receptors were blocked, individuals were less able to deliberately learn the rules to a weather prediction game. This blockage didn't affect those who were told to go with their gut and figure out the rules. Shifting learning strategies is a fundamental mechanism in adapting to stressful situations, the researchers say.
Read more: http://bit.ly/1bXvuiIJournal article: Mineralocorticoid Receptor Blockade Prevents Stress-Induced Modulation of Multiple Memory Systems in the Human Brain. Biological Psychiatry, 2013. doi:10.1016/
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