ReviewPhysiology & behavior2017
A users guide to HPA axis research.
Review in Physiology & behavior, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 208 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
208 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Lead exposure, glucocorticoids, and physiological stress across the life course: A systematic review.Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) · 2024Pooled it
- Association between Noise Annoyance and Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Glucocorticoids in relation to behavior, morphology, and physiology as proxy indicators for the assessment of animal welfare. A systematic mapping review.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2022Pooled it
- Cortisol and β-Endorphin Responses During a Two-Month Exercise Training Program in Patients with an Opioid Use Disorder and on a Substitution Treatment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Trial
- The longitudinal impact of low-dose morphine on diurnal cortisol profiles in people with chronic breathlessness and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): an exploratory study.Respiratory research · 2025Trial
- Investigating the relationship between hippocampus/dentate gyrus volume and hypothalamus metabolism in participants with major depressive disorder.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Long-term green-Mediterranean diet may favor fasting morning cortisol stress hormone; the DIRECT-PLUS clinical trial.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023Trial
- Neurophysiological Stress Response and Mood Changes Induced by High-Intensity Interval Training: A Pilot Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Trial
- Changes in the cortisol and oxytocin levels of first-time pregnant women during interaction with an infant: a randomized controlled trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Trial
- Investigation of the effects of two exercise protocols on behavioral and biochemical changes in ovariectomized rats exposed to single prolonged stress.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2026Article
- Not all stress is equal: Examination stress and cortisol reactivity are associated with exploratory species-level variation but not broad restructuring of the gut microbiome.Neurobiology of stress · 2026Article
- Advances in salivary cortisol monitoring for healthcare applications.RSC advances · 2026Review
- Parameter identifiability of a neuroendocrine-inflammatory model across experimental designs.ArXiv · 2026Article
- Review
- Sex-specific mechanisms of childhood trauma-related HPA axis dysregulation: Insights across four regulatory probes.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2026Article
- Daily Rhythms in Clock Gene mRNA Expression in Serotonergic Brain Regions of Adult Male Rats.Journal of biological rhythms · 2026Article
- Hypothesis on PTSD Pathophysiology: Role of CRH, Noradrenaline, and Glucocorticoid Receptors in an Amygdala-Centered Closed-Loop System.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial of Multisensory Early Oral Administration of Human Milk (M-MILK) for Very Preterm Infants: Enhancing Stress Regulation, Neurodevelopment, and Oral Feeding Skills.Biological research for nursing · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the TiaoShenZhiAi Regimen for Patients With Ovarian Cancer Experiencing a Psychoneurological Symptom Cluster: Protocol for a Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Nutrients and Functional Components of Medicine and Food Homology Substances on Antidepressant Effects: A Mechanism-Oriented Review.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
148 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (cortisol and corticosterone - CORT) are the effector hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis neuroendocrine system. CORT is a systemic intercellular signal whose level predictably varies with time of day and dynamically increases with environmental and psychological stressors. This hormonal signal is utilized by virtually every cell and physiological system of the body to optimize performance according to circadian, environmental and physiological demands. Disturbances in normal HPA axis activity profiles are associated with a wide variety of physiological and mental health disorders. Despite numerous studies to date that have identified molecular, cellular and systems-level glucocorticoid actions, new glucocorticoid actions and clinical status associations continue to be revealed at a brisk pace in the scientific literature. However, the breadth of investigators working in this area poses distinct challenges in ensuring common practices across investigators, and a full appreciation for the complexity of a system that is often reduced to a single dependent measure. This Users Guide is intended to provide a fundamental overview of conceptual, technical and practical knowledge that will assist individuals who engage in and evaluate HPA axis research. We begin with examination of the anatomical and hormonal components of the HPA axis and their physiological range of operation. We then examine strategies and best practices for systematic manipulation and accurate measurement of HPA axis activity. We feature use of experimental methods that will assist with better understanding of CORT's physiological actions, especially as those actions impact subsequent brain function. This research approach is instrumental for determining the mechanisms by which alterations of HPA axis function may contribute to pathophysiology.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.