How Dysregulated HPA-Axis Activation Correlates with Working Memory Deficits Under Chronic Stress. The human brain is very susceptible to stress. Although short bursts of stress might make a person sharper and more efficient, chronic stress speaks a different language - one that is written in hormones, neural pathways, and a slowly building cerebral drain. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the main system in the body that responds to stress, and one of the most quantifiable indicators of that response: the cortisol awakening response (CAR). Learning how the dysregulation of this system is eroding working memory and executive functioning, one gets some insight into the concealed cognitive price of living in chronic stress. Read More: Cortical Thinning Caused by Chronic Stress Exposure The HPA Axis and the Cortisol Awakening Response The HPA axis functions as the body's alarm. Upon identification of a threat (real or assumed), the hypothalamus secretes the corticotropin-releasing hormone…