It is not to be forgotten, what Commineus observeth of his first master Duke Charles the Hardy; namely, mat he would communicate his secrets with none; and least of all, those secrets, which troubled him most Whereupon he goeth on, and saith, that towards his latter time that closeness did impair and a little perish his understanding.
Stress causes the body to release cortisol, which can impair memory and has been found to shrink the memory centers in the brain.