The "Cortisol Awakening Response": Ontogenesis and Impact of Episodic and Prospective Memory Functioning

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Assessment of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) as a measure of hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity has found broad application in psychobiological research. However, the exact function of the CAR is still elusive. Recent evidence suggests a pivotal role for the hippocampus in the induction of the CAR. In concert with hippocampus-related memory representations about the self and orientation in space and time, it is tempting to speculate that processes of episodic and prospective memory may be related to the production of a CAR.We propose a series of studies in which we initially establish the time pattern of first appearance of the CAR in ontogenesis. This study will incorporate repeated assessments of the CAR in healthy children of different age groups. Next, we will study the association between the CAR and memory performance (episodic, prospective). This series of studies in children will be the first to investigate the ontogeny of the CAR and the involvement of psychological measures of hippocampal functioning. Eventually, results from these studies may provide insight into the nature of this significant endocrine response occurring at the transition from sleep to wakefulness and improve interpretations of the CAR in clinical studies.