Stress influences what we learn and remember. The hormone cortisol, which is released during stressful situations, can make emotional memories in particular stronger. But how exactly does cortisol help the brain build emotional memories?

In a new study, Yale researchers investigated just that. Specifically, they wanted to know how cortisol acts separately on brain circuits that track emotion and those that track memory. They found that cortisol not only helped people remember emotional experiences but also enhanced emotional memory by changing the dynamic brain networks associated with both memory and emotion.

“We all experience stress, and my lab is interested in understanding how stress can be helpful,” said corresponding author Elizabeth Goldfarb, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and of psychology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The findings are published in the journal Science Advances.