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Concept

HPA axis

A cross-section of a brain with a glowing central structure symbolizes the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, highlighting its role in producing cortisol in response to stress.

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis: a three-step chain of glands that produces cortisol in response to stress. The hypothalamus secretes CRH, which prompts the anterior pituitary to release ACTH, which travels to the adrenal cortex and triggers cortisol synthesis. Cortisol then feeds back to suppress its own upstream signals, a loop that goes awry in depression, PTSD and chronic inflammatory disease.

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