Cortisol is the principal glucocorticoid hormone synthesized by the adrenal cortex under control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, regulating carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, immune and inflammatory responses, blood pressure, and the physiological response to stress. Its secretion follows a diu…
Cortisol is the principal glucocorticoid hormone synthesized by the adrenal cortex under control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, regulating carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, immune and inflammatory responses, blood pressure, and the physiological response to stress. Its secretion follows a diurnal rhythm and rises acutely with physical and psychological stressors, making it a widely used biomarker of stress reactivity and HPA-axis function. Dysregulation is implicated in metabolic, mood, and cognitive disorders, and synthetic glucocorticoids derived from cortisol biology are used to treat inflammation, allergy, and autoimmune disease. The peer-reviewed research collected here reflects these themes through studies of maternal behavior and children's attachment-related cortisol stress responses, basal serum cortisol in relation to depression and medial temporal lobe atrophy in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, and a placebo-controlled trial of bilateral alternating somatosensory stimulation on stress-related cortisol and anxiety during the Trier Social Stress Test. Related contributions examine endogenous opioid production in pain, stress and diabetes interactions, and biochemical responses to controlled breathing. Methodologically, the literature draws on standardized stress paradigms, biochemical assays, randomized and placebo-controlled designs, and clinical cohort analysis, illustrating how cortisol measurement links neuroendocrine physiology to stress, cognition, mood, and metabolic health.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 59 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Cortisol, linking to each citing work.