The Brain/Adrenal Connection: Understanding the HPA axis with Dr. Christina O'Brien

Send us Fan MailSometimes a traditional diurnal cortisol test isn’t enough to properly evaluate a patient. With the DUTCH Plus, the cortisol awakening response (CAR) gives additional insight into your patient’s stress response. A “mini stress test” the CAR takes snapshots in the minutes and hours after waking to paint a clearer picture of HPA axis function. In this episode of the DUTCH Podcast, Drs. Jaclyn Smeaton and Christina O’Brien discuss the value of the CAR in finding hidden points of dysregulation in patients. They cover typical cortisol testing procedure and dive into the benefits of measuring the CAR to enhance patient care. Sections and Timestamps 00:00   Intro01:57   What’s the typical cortisol test?03:10   Why saliva for measuring the CAR?07:15   The CAR can identify dysfunction missed by typical diurnal curve10:00   Typical patterns of dysfunction on a CAR report13:05   When should providers order the DUTCH Plus vs the DUTCH Complete16:25   Conclusion Additional Resources DUTCH Completehttps://dutchtest.com/info-dutch-complete/ DUTCH Plushttps://dutchtest.com/info-dutch-plus/ Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR)https://dutchtest.com/info-dutch-plus/#cortisol-awakening-response