Individual Variation in Glucocorticoid Plasticity: Considerations and Future Directions

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulates the secretion of glucocorticoids, hormones with diverse roles ranging from regulating daily metabolic demand to coping with sudden perturbations. As a result, glucocorticoids are thought to help vertebrates track their changing environments and coordinate plasticity in diverse phenotypes. While this endocrine system is highly plastic-where one individual can produce multiple phenotypes...