Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Circadian Rhythm On Cortisol And Perceived Stress Correlations, Adam Bender

Honors Theses

Stress is a known trigger of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis which leads to the production and secretion of the catabolic steroid cortisol by the adrenal gland. Since cortisol production is affected by stress, it follows that a high self-perception of stress would be correlated with high blood and saliva cortisol levels. Literature generally shows a gap in identifying this correlation, perhaps because of the interconnected nature of endocrine pathways. New experimental methods that control for the effects of circadian rhythm have shown limited success in demonstrating this correlation. Our purpose is to continue exploring the relationship between cortisol, perceived stress, …