Intensive care extended beyond the “adaptive” time window: from impact on the adrenocortical ‘fight or flight’ response towards a possible new treatment KU Leuven
The hormone cortisol is an essential component of the ‘fight or flight’ response to illness and trauma. Normally, when the brain senses a stressful event, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is activated, and the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates the anterior pituitary to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which drives cortisol synthesis and secretion from the adrenal cortex. Cortisol ...