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The Effects of Stress on Memory in Latino Populations

Poster Session E - Monday, March 9, 2026, 2:30 – 4:30 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Angie Cordova¹, Fernanda Morales-Calva¹, Stephanie Leal^1,2; ¹Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, ²Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, UCLA

Introduction: Latinos face unique minority identity-related stressors and higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than non-Latino Whites (NLW). Additionally, stress is often associated with worse memory. Our experiences often contain overlapping features; thus, interference across experiences may lead to difficulties remembering unique events. The ability to reduce interference across similar experiences relies on hippocampal pattern separation computations. Mnemonic discrimination tasks (MDT) have shown to be a behavioral correlate of hippocampal pattern separation and are sensitive to age-related cognitive decline. However, prior studies have examined predominantly NLW participants. In the current study, we investigated how stress in Latinos and non-Latinos was associated with memory performance in young adults using a MDT. Methods: We collected data from 106 participants (ages 18-35), including foreign-born Latinos (N = 26), US-born Latinos (N = 26), non-Latinos (N = 26), and Latinos living in Mexico (N = 28). Participants completed a novel MDT that included stimuli generalizable across cultures. We measured general recognition and lure discrimination, a behavioral correlate of hippocampal pattern separation. We measured stress through physiological and self-report measures. Results: We found that Latino participants showed worse memory (d’ and LDI) and higher levels of subjective stress compared to non-Latinos. In particular, foreign-born Latinos showed negative associations between stress and memory, where higher stress predicted worse memory. Conclusion: We found that Latinos experienced greater stress and worse memory, particularly for detailed information. This study addresses health disparities and increasing awareness of cross-cultural differences in cognition.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Episodic