We asked Dr. Sapolsky how he suspected there to be a thyroid-hormone involvement in the handling effect on hippocampal GC-R number.  Over a kitchen table and many books was our answer, as Dr. Sapolsky once again modestly attributed the study's success to luck.  What the success of thyroid hormone treatment tells us, in this case, is that what actually produces the "handling effect" is a combination of the attentive effects of excess thyroid hormone secretion, and a period of time that follows handling where mothers nurture their pups upon their return.   Click here to watch Dr. Sapolsky talk about the discovery and significance of thyroid hormone secretion as a result of handling. (12:36-14:32)