Abstract

Stress can induce cognitive dysfunction and systemic inflammation. In the present study, attempts were made to show the effects of stress induced by road accidents on cognitive function, systemic inflammation by means of glucocorticoid receptor resistance (GCR), and glutamate N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor gene expression in 22 patients compared with 22 healthy control volunteers. Blood samples were collected from the participants for cortisol, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and NMDA receptor gene expression evaluation. In addition, participants' cognitive functions were evaluated by using the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) software. Our data indicated that the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and plasma cortisol levels were increased in the stress group (GCR). NMDA receptor gene expression analysis in the peripheral lymphocytes did not detect expression of this gene in the stress group. PASAT data also revealed a comprehensive decrease in the total correct response, mental fatigue, sustained attention, and reaction time in the stress group. In conclusion, it is clear that stress induced by road accident decreases patients' cognitive function, which may be due to an increase in GCR/or decrease in NMDA receptor gene expression.