Which of the following is a cognitive symptom of chronic stress?

• A. Memory Problems
• B. Sleep Pattern Changes
• C. Headaches
• D. Digestive Changes

Answer: (A)

Chronic stress directly affects mental processing, so cognitive symptoms involve memory, attention, and thinking. When stress is ongoing, higher levels of stress hormones like cortisol can alter brain areas key to memory and executive function—the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This makes memory problems a prime cognitive symptom of chronic stress, such as trouble forming or recalling memories and difficulty concentrating. The other options describe physical or bodily responses to stress—changes in sleep, headaches, and digestive changes—which, while they can impact thinking, are not direct cognitive processes.