CRH and depressive disorder: A hyperactive hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is often a feature of depression (Bao et al. 2008), and activation of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is the central motor for HPA activity (for review, see Bao et al. 2008).