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Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine

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Synonyms

Pituitary-adrenal axis

Definition

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) is an interactive neuroendocrine unit comprising of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands. The hypothalamus is located in the brain and the pituitary at the base of it, whereas the adrenals are on top of the kidneys.

The HPA axis plays key roles in basal homeostasis and in the body’s response to stress. The major pathway of the axis results in the production and secretion of cortisol. The hypothalamus responds to basal neural input which follows a circadian rhythm and input as a result of stress by increasing the secretion of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus. This increase in CRH acts upon the anterior pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn circulates to the adrenal cortex to stimulate the release of cortisol into the bloodstream. The HPA axis is an example of a negative feedback loop; cortisol can reduce...

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References and Readings

  • Greenspan, F. S., & Forsham, P. H. (1983). Basic and clinical endocrinology. Los Altos, CA: Lange Medical.

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  • O’Riordan, F. L. H., Malan, P. G., & Gould, R. P. (1988). Essentials of endocrinology (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Scientific.

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  • Widmaier, E. P., Raff, H., & Strang, K. T. (2004). Vander, Sherman, & Luciano’s human physiology: The mechanism of body function. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, The University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

    Jennifer Heaney

Authors
  1. Jennifer Heaney
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer Heaney .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc D. Gellman

  2. Cardiovascular Safety, Quintiles, Durham, NC, USA

    J. Rick Turner

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Heaney, J. (2013). Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_460

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_460

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1005-9

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