Acute effects of a single dose 40 mg cortisol on mental functions.

Earlier reports in the scientific literature suggest that exogenous cortisol
can have acute effects on (attentive) cognitive processing of threat related
stimuli. This must be replicated and extended and it needs to be specified to
which aspects of attention and to which classes of stimuli this applies.

To further study effects of a single administration of cortisol, compared to
placebo, on different aspects of attention and other cognitive processing of
emotionally relevant information in healthy young men. This should provide new
information on the role that cortisol and related hormones play in processes of
emotion regulation that appear to play a role in various psychopathologies.
This mainly serves a fundamental scientific goal.

Two doubleblind, placebo-controlled cross over experiments will be performed
(in two separate groups) to test acute effects of 40 mg hydrocortisone on
performance of various cognitive computertests. The two experiments will have
identical designs to the extent that only the specific computertests to be
performed will vary between the groups.

Subjects will be administered once placebo and once 40 mg hydrocortisone.

De principal burden probably lies in the time investment made by the subjects
(up to six hours) to participate in the study. Several employed stimuli may be
considered disturbing (e.g., bloody, and frightening pictures or erotic words).
Performance of several cognitive tests may be experienced as tiring or boring.
Single administration of 40 mg hydrocortisone does not lead to subjectively
noticeable effects on physical or mental functioning and is safe and harmless.