Hair cortisol as a marker of stress in mild traumatic brain injury: a challenging measure.

ABSTRACT: Cortisol is released through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by physiological and psychological stressors, such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This hormone is accumulated in hair over longer periods of time, reflecting both acute and chronic forms of stress, allowing for retrospective analyses within certain timeframes. The main objectives of this study were to analyze pre- and post-injury hair cortisol concentrations, and to explore possible associations with personality and recovery after mTBI. Hair samples of 61 mTBI patients were collected at 4-6 weeks post-injury and divided into pre- (1 cm) and post-injury (1 cm) segments. For comparison, hair samples of 24 age, sex and education matched healthy controls (HC) were collected and divided into similar segme

SUBMITTER: Ciubotariu D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11920047 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature