Figure 8.
Inverted U-shaped relationship between increasing levels of glucocorticoids (arrow) and ‘systems performance’ (e.g., spatial memory). Optimal systems performance is generally observed at intermediate levels of glucocorticoid availability, consistent with the need for glucocorticoids to supply an appropriate context for adaptation. Performance is generally degraded if glucocorticoid secretion is insufficient or hyperresponsive. See deKloet (1998) (32) for discussion. Modified from (68).