The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its end product cortisol are essential for
an adequate response to stress. Considering the role of stress as a risk factor for psychiatric …

The adolescent transition is marked by increases in stress exposure and significant
maturation of neural and hormonal stress processing systems. Variability in the development …

Background: Anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder (MDD) have been associated
with increased and blunted HPA axis reactivity to social stress. However, research focusing …

TRAILS consists of a population cohort (N= 2230) and a clinical cohort (N= 543), both of
which were followed from about age 11 years onwards. To date, the population cohort has …

The present study examined the relationship between personality traits and the response to
acute psychological stress induced by a standardized laboratory stress induction procedure …

One of the leading neurobiological hypotheses on depression states that decreased
expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) contributes to depression. This is …

We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the HPA axis response to social stress in
studies that used the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), or comparable distressing paradigms …

Background Between 30 and 50% of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not
respond sufficiently to antidepressant regimens. The conventional pharmacological …

Background Irritability in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is common and
impairing, yet its mechanisms remain understudied. We investigated symptom reporting and …

Academic examination is a major stressor for students in China. Investigation of stress-
sensitive endocrine responses to major examination stress serves as a good model of …