The DOI matches its Crossref record; 31 of the 31 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
An assessment of cortisol analysis in hair and its clinical applications
Abstract
Hair analyses for exogenous compounds, specifically drugs of abuse, have been a useful tool in detecting long-term drug exposure. More recently, studies have delved into the exposure of endogenous compounds in hair. Cortisol is synthesized in the adrenal cortex in response to stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. While catecholamines generally indicate acute stress, cortisol can be used as an indicator for sub-acute and chronic stress. Studies on the effects of chronic stress are most often subjective in nature, relying on questionnaires asking the participant to recall on past stressors. This can lead to the issue of recall and reporting bias. A new objective measure of chronic stress is needed for a more accurate understanding of the effects of chronic stress on the body. This review uses emerging evidence to describe the usefulness of hair analysis for cortisol and discusses the current methods used.
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“It has been validated in clinical and non-clinical contexts to reflect systemic long-term cortisol exposure (retrospectively, up to 6 months; Gow et al., 2010).”
From Chronic Stress, Hair Cortisol and Depression: A Prospective and Longitudinal Study of Medical Internship (2018) · cites this paper as Gow et al., 2010
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BackgroundPotential problems with the interpretation of hair analysis results
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Metadata
- Authors
- Gow, R., Thomson, S., Rieder, M., Van Uum, S., & Koren, G.
- Affiliations
- Western University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Koren, G.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Forensic Science International
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-03
- Volume
- 196
- Issue
- 1-3
- Pages
- 32-37
- ISSN
- 0379-0738 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2127194071
- Cited by
- 329
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 9.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Forensic Science International (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
- Keywords
- cortisol, hair analysis, chronic stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, endogenous biomarkers, stress biomarkers, recall bias, adrenal cortex, forensic toxicology
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Chromatography, Gas, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Hair, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Radioimmunoassay, Mass Spectrometry, Stress, Physiological, Stress, Psychological, Biomarkers
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