In a study on the effects of stress on the brain, neuroscientists Sunita Kumar, Ethan Wilson, and others examined the brains of rats exposed to stressful situations. The researchers found that stress caused inflammation in the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in memory and learning. They also discovered that this inflammation reduced the rats' ability to form new memories. They concluded that stress is likely to ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A) increase an individual’s ability to learn new information.
A
increase an individual’s ability to learn new information.
(Choice B) decrease an individual's ability to form new memories.
B
decrease an individual's ability to form new memories.
(Choice C) increase an individual's ability to combat inflammation in the brain.
C
increase an individual's ability to combat inflammation in the brain.
(Choice D) decrease an individual's hippocampal inflammation.
D
decrease an individual's hippocampal inflammation.

The correct answer is:

(Choice B) decrease an individual's ability to form new memories.