HPA Axis

Question 1

___ (duration) stress is more harmful to health than ___ stress due to its sustained impact

Answer 1

chronic; acute

Question 2

What two hormones does the PVN of the hypothalamus release and where do they act on?

Answer 2

Vasopressin, CRH; anterior pituitary

Question 3

The anterior pituitary releases ___ into the blood where it causes the ____ ___ to release _____

Answer 3

ACTH; adrenal cortex; cortisol

Question 4

The SNS releases ___ during stress which activate the ___ ___

Answer 4

catecholamines; HPA axis

Question 5

Both the HPA axis and the SNS work to downregulate the ___ system during stress and increase these 3 energy providing processes

Answer 5

immune; gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, lipolysis

Question 6

____ is the most effective range of the U HPA axis curve

Answer 6

eustasis

Question 7

Good stress can increase the capacity of the HPA axis which is known as

Answer 7

hyperstasis

Question 8

Glucocorticoids like cortisol are responsible for ___ ___ for both CRH and ACTH

Answer 8

feedback inhibition

Question 9

The __ receptor works at ____ levels of cortisol while the __ receptor, due to their lower affinity, is responsible for regulation of the ____ ____

Answer 9

MR; GR; stress response

Question 10

The immune system, ____ in particular, upregulate the HPA axis

Answer 10

cytokines

Question 11

____, ___ stressors predispose the HPA axis to dysregulation

Answer 11

unpredictable, chronic

Question 12

Cortisol levels are highest around _ am, then decrease all day to their valley _ hour(s) before you go to sleep

Answer 12

9; 1

Question 13

__ cortisol measurements are the best for short term, __ measurements can be used for 24 hour levels, and long term can be measured in the ___

Answer 13

Saliva; urine; hair

Question 14

The dexamethasone test _____ HPA axis activity, so cortisol levels should __ after injection

Answer 14

suppresses; decrease

Question 15

Peripheral levels of ___ are also used to check HPA axis activity

Answer 15

GR

Question 16

MDD reduces ___ ___ by cortisol, resulting in HPA axis ___

Answer 16

feedback inhibition; hyperactivity

Question 17

MDD patients have ____ size of their hypothalamus and pituitary, don’t show cortisol ____ after dexamethasone injection, and have ____ GR receptor levels

Answer 17

increased; suppression; decreased

Question 18

Patients with ____ disorder show all of the same HPA axis dysregulations as MDD patients, in both the manic and depressive states

Answer 18

bipolar

Question 19

Both bipolar and MDD patients have ___ cortisol levels upon awakening

Answer 19

increase

Question 20

People at risk for depression have HPA axis ____ but ___ faster than full blown depressed people

Answer 20

dysregulation; recover

Question 21

PTSD patients show ___ of HPA axis activity after dexamethasone challenge

Answer 21

hyper suppression

Question 22

In PTSD, there is a ___ HPA axis activity at baseline but an _____ level of activity in response to a stressor

Answer 22

decreased; increased

Question 23

People who experience childhood trauma have increased ___ of the GR receptor promotor

Answer 23

methylation

Question 24

Functional polymorphisms of the _____ gene increase your risk of PTSD

Answer 24

FKBP5

Question 25

HPA axis elevation occurs only in the ____ phase of schizophrenia, not the ___ phase

Answer 25

acute; chronic

Question 26

___ ____ ____ is correlated to ___ HPA axis activity, and normalizing the HPA axis may result in less symptoms

Answer 26

First episode psychosis; higher

Question 27

GR agonists are antidepressive by enhancing _____ ___, while GR antagonists are antidepressive by limiting ___ ___

Answer 27

feedback inhibition; downstream effects