[Page 64]Hormones are molecules that systemically regulate human physiology and behavior, being synthesized and released into the blood circulation by special organs called endocrine glands. The term adrenal hormones refers to those hormones produced by the adrenal or epinephric glands located on top of the kidneys. Adrenal hormones include catecholamines (epinephrine and, to a lesser degree, norepinephrine), secreted by chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla (the core part of the gland), and corticosteroids synthesized in the adrenal cortex: mineralocorticoids (aldosterone), glucocorticoids (cortisol), and adrenal androgen precursors. Glucocorticoids and catecholamines are of special interest for clinical psychology because of their key role in regulation of mood, cognitive functions, and behavior. Impaired glucocorticoid and/or catecholamine production is associated with abnormal mental conditions such as stress-related and depressive ...