Area under the curve for response in each condition, including baseline, was calculated using the trapezoid formula with the primary predictor variables of subjective anxiety, alcohol craving, corticotropin level, cortisol level, and adrenal sensitivity (cortisol to corticotropin ratio), a summary measure of HPA axis function commonly studied in stress-related mental and inflammatory conditions,25,26 in the stress, alcohol cue, and neutral, relaxing conditions (Table 2).
