德国鲁尔大学波鸿分校的研究团队通过核磁共振成像（MRI）研究发现，压力激素皮质醇会干扰大脑的空间导航系统[1]。该研究招募了40名健康男性参与者，他们在两个不同日期分别接受20毫克皮质醇注射和安慰剂处理[1]。结果表明，注射皮质醇后，参与者在虚拟草地导航任务中的目标到达误差明显增大[1]。
研究发现了皮质醇对大脑结构的具体影响。负责空间定位的海马旁皮层网格细胞在皮质醇作用下放电模式变得不清晰，尤其是在没有永久地标的环境中活动几乎完全消失[1]。与此同时，尾状核的活动增加，表明大脑试图启动替代导航策略进行补偿[1]。鲁尔大学波鸿分校的研究人员Dr. Osman Akan表示："在压力下，大脑失去了有效利用其内部导航地图的能力"[1]。该研究成果已发表在学术期刊《PLOS Biology》2026年第24卷第3期，文章编号为e3003661[1]。
Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany have discovered that the stress hormone cortisol disrupts the brain's spatial navigation system, according to findings from an MRI study.[1] The research involved 40 healthy male participants who underwent virtual navigation tasks after receiving either 20 milligrams of cortisol or a placebo on separate occasions.[1] Following cortisol injection, participants showed significantly larger navigation errors when attempting to reach targets in a virtual grassland environment.[1]
The study revealed that cortisol impaired the functioning of grid cells in the brain's entorhinal cortex, which normally fire in regular patterns to support spatial orientation.[1] Under the influence of cortisol, this orderly firing pattern became disrupted, with grid cell activity nearly disappearing entirely in environments lacking permanent landmarks.[1] Simultaneously, researchers observed increased activity in the caudate nucleus, suggesting the brain may activate alternative navigation strategies to compensate for the compromised primary system.[1] As Dr. Osman Akan stated, "under stress, the brain loses its ability to effectively use its internal navigation map."[1]
The findings were published in PLOS Biology, Volume 24, Issue 3, article number e3003661 in 2026.[1] The research team was drawn from the Department of Cognitive Psychology and Department of Neuropsychology at Ruhr University Bochum, as well as Hamburg-Eppendorf University Hospital.[1]