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Cited by 211Stress Responses and CortisolHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlSalivary Gland Disorders and Functions

Acute stress responses in salivary alpha-amylase predict increases of plasma norepinephrine

Thoma, Myriam V., Kirschbaum, Clemens, Wolf, Jutta M., Rohleder, Nicolas·2012·Biological Psychology
DOI 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.07.008
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Abstract

Current biobehavioral research increasingly employs salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) as a surrogate marker for sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. While different lines of evidence point to the validity of this assumption, the literature is inconsistent with regard to associations of sAA with well-established SNS indicators, such as plasma norepinephrine (NE) or epinephrine (E). Small samples as well as application of different stress paradigms might be responsible. This study therefore set out to examine the relation between stress-induced sAA activity with NE and E by exposing a larger and less constrained sample to an effective stress protocol. Sixty-six healthy participants (mean age 24.30±4.24 yrs), including n=40 women, n=26 men, n=18 oral contraceptive (OC) users, and n=15 habitual smokers, were recruited and subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Saliva and blood samples were taken at four time points throughout the experiment for later analysis of sAA activity and NE/E concentration, respectively. As expected, sAA, NE, and E showed significant increases in response to the acute stress induction (all p<0.001). Regression analyses (controlling for age, BMI, sex, smoking and OC) revealed that stress responses in sAA significantly predicted stress responses in NE (r=0.326; p=0.025). Interestingly, stress responses in E predicted NE to a lesser extend (β=0.265; p=0.064). E responses showed no association with sAA (β=0.265; p=0.064). Higher sAA levels were found in habitual smokers (F=4.27; p=0.043) and in individuals with lower BMI (F=2.81; p=0.099). In conclusion, current data clearly show an association between stress responses of sAA and plasma NE. This relationship is stronger than the association of norepinephrine and epinephrine responses, thus placing the predictive power of sAA well within the expected range for different SNS markers.

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  • Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) is a biochemical index for sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity.

    “Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) is a novel biochemical index for sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity [16–19].”

    From The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response (2013) · cites this paper as [18]

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Authors
Thoma, M. V., Kirschbaum, C., Wolf, J. M., & Rohleder, N.
Affiliations
  • Brandeis University (US)
  • Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
Corresponding author
Thoma, Myriam V.
ORCID
Venue
Biological Psychology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-12
Volume
91
Issue
3
Pages
342-348
ISSN
0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.07.008
OpenAlex
W2118352161
Cited by
211
References
14
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 16
FWCI
7.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Biological Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Salivary Gland Disorders and Functions
Keywords
salivary amylase, plasma norepinephrine, plasma epinephrine, acute stress response, sympathetic activity, Trier Social Stress Test, stress biomarkers, smoking, oral contraceptive use, body mass index
MeSH terms
Adult, Age Factors, Epinephrine, Female, Humans, Male, Norepinephrine, Predictive Value of Tests, Smoking, Social Behavior, Social Environment, Stress, Psychological, Salivary alpha-Amylases

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