Published Paper Details:

People with Major Depressive Disorder have problems with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and inflammatory systems that do not go away. Common methods of gauging cortisol include measuring diurnal fluctuations and assessing the cortisol awakening response (CAR). Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in certain people with severe depressive illness is one of the most robust and often seen discoveries in biological psychiatry. Some of these discoveries relevant to evaluating and treating depressed people will be discussed below. Understanding the cause and effects of HPA axis activation in depressed individuals will be a priority for future researchers. To add, there are drugs in development that target the HPA axis, which might one day be a standard component of a psychiatrist's or family doctor's toolkit for treating mental health issues. For a long, psychiatrists and neuroscientists have worked toward a deeper understanding of the biological roots of MDD and other mood disorders. The effects of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and serotonin on major depressive disorder have been the subject of a great deal of research. There has also been research on the relationship between MDD and hormone levels and stress response.