Why, when frightened, we get lost easily - scientists have explained

The results of the study were published in the journal PLOS Biology.

The study was conducted by scientists from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. The experiment involved 40 volunteers.

The participants were offered to take a virtual orientation test. Inside an MRI scanner, they navigated a digital landscape and had to find their way back to the starting point.

Details

The subjects received cortisol on one day and a placebo on another.

The results showed that under the influence of the stress hormone, people were significantly worse at orienteering and more likely to get directions wrong.

Brain scans showed that cortisol affects the work of so-called grid cells.

These cells are located in an area of the brain called the entorhinal cortex and help us orientate ourselves in space. They are often referred to as part of the brain's "internal GPS."

When participants were under the influence of cortisol, the activity of these cells became less clear and the brain's navigation system performed worse.

The scientists also noticed that the brain tried to compensate for this by activating other areas responsible for finding alternative orienteering strategies.

Why it matters

The entorhinal cortex is one of the first areas of the brain to be affected in Alzheimer's disease.

Therefore, the researchers believe their work may help to better understand how chronic stress affects the brain and why it may increase the risk of cognitive impairment.

Background

The ability to navigate through space depends on a network of special neurons that form a kind of internal map of the environment.

A new study shows that stress hormones can temporarily disrupt this system.

Source

Osman Akan et al, Cortisol treatment impairs path integration and alters grid-like representations in the human entorhinal cortex, PLOS Biology (2026)