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Cortisol Awakening Response Modulation

Meaning

This refers to the deliberate adjustment of the predictable, sharp rise in cortisol levels observed shortly after waking, a neuroendocrine event known as the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). Modulation aims to optimize this acute stress axis activity, ensuring a healthy, non-exaggerated, or non-blunted response pattern. A well-regulated CAR is an important indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis integrity and psychological resilience.