Abstract

During exposure to stress stimuli, the body responds physiologically by increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis via catecholamines and the sympathetic nervous system. This is the reason why catecholamines and heart rate variability(HRV) are the most frequently used biochemical and/or physiological variables for assessing the intensity and effect of stressors. But theses methods still are subject to experimental errors and must be used and interpreted carefully. There must be methodological considerations before choosing the biomarkers for stress research because each of these methods has different characteristics and weak points.

• Keywords: biomarker, cortisol, catecholamine, Heartrate veriability