Signs and symptoms that are characteristic for depression include changes in the setpoint of
the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system, which in the majority of these
patients result in altered regulation of corticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol secretory activity.
More refined analysis of the HPA system revealed that corticosteroid receptor (CR) signaling
is impaired in major depression, resulting among other changes, in increased production
and secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH, also frequently abbreviated CRF) in …