Stress, Memory, and Memory Impairment

Stress can have impairing, enhancing, or no influence on memory systems and processes. The present chapter reviews, albeit selectively, the impact of stress on human memory with a particular focus on clinical populations. The consequence of stress on memory systems will be reviewed focusing on working memory, implicit and explicit memory, episodic, and autobiographical memory. This is followed by the review of the impact of stress on memory phases including encoding, consolidation, retrieval, and reconsolidation. Throughout the review, the effects of stress on memory are linked to psychiatric disorders, and clinical implications are considered.