Trauma influences the secretion of a number of pituitary hormones. In particular it initiates the release of corticotrophin (ACTH) which enhances the production of adrenocortical hormones essential for the organism to withstand the stressful situation. The secretion of ACTH is dependent on a neurohumoral substance, corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF), produced by the hypothalamus. The exact nature of the releasing factor is unknown but it appears to comprise several components, including a 41-residue peptide (CRF-41) and vasopressin, which act together synergistically, Its secretion is controlled primarily by excitatory and inhibitory pathways originating in other areas of the central nervous system and, to a lesser extent, by the glucocorticoids.
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Julia C. Buckingham (1985) studied this question.