CHICAGO: About a fifth of all children live in poverty. These children are more likely to experience learning and cognitive delays.
Researchers have tried to determine causes for this disparity, with recent work identifying the hormone cortisol as a possible reason because of its ability to pass the blood-brain barrier. Cortisol is one of the most influential hormones in the human body, often referred to as the stress hormone because it’s secreted into the bloodstream at higher levels as part of the body’s fight-or-flight response. Now a new study has identified how specific patterns of cortisol activity may relate to the cognitive abilities of children in poverty.