Psychosocial stress-induced activation of salivary alpha-amylase: an indicator of sympathetic activity?
Abstract
Assessment of sympathoadrenal medullary system (SAM) activity is only possible to date via measurement of catecholamines in blood plasma or via electrophysiological methods. Both ways of measurement are restricted to endocrinological or psychophysiological laboratories, as both require either immediate freezing of blood samples or complex recording devices. Efforts have therefore been undertaken to find a method comparable to salivary cortisol measurements, in which noninvasive samples can be taken at any place and stored at room temperature for sufficient time before later analysis in the laboratory. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) is a candidate that may prove useful in this context. We show here that sAA activity is increased by acute psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test) and that increases in sAA correlate with increases in norepinephrine. We further report that sAA exhibits a stable circadian pattern that mirrors that of salivary cortisol. In conclusion, the current data show that salivary alpha-amylase may serve as an easy-to-use index for SAM activity. However, some questions remain to be answered; for example, what impact does salivary flow rate exert on stress-induced sAA activity?
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Salivary alpha-amylase is a psychobiological parameter known to reflect stress-related changes in the autonomic nervous system.
“Furthermore, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) is a psychobiological parameter that is known to reflect stress-related changes in the autonomic nervous system (ANS; Rohleder et al., 2004; Nater and Rohleder, 2009).”
From Psychobiological Effects of Choral Singing on Affective State, Social Connectedness, and Stress: Influences of Singing Activity and Time Course (2018) · cites this paper as Rohleder et al., 2004
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- Authors
- ROHLEDER, N., NATER, U. M., WOLF, J. M., EHLERT, U., & KIRSCHBAUM, C.
- Affiliations
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- ROHLEDER, NICOLAS
- Venue
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2004-12
- Volume
- 1032
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 258-263
- ISSN
- 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
- 1749-6632
- OpenAlex
- W2158976726
- Cited by
- 520
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 35
- FWCI
- 4.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- 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, psychosocial stress, norepinephrine, Trier Social Stress Test, circadian rhythm, salivary cortisol, non-invasive biomarkers, sympathetic activity, salivary flow rate
- MeSH terms
- Adrenal Medulla, Adult, alpha-Amylases, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Humans, Kinetics, Male, Middle Aged, Norepinephrine, Predictive Value of Tests, Saliva, Social Environment, Stress, Psychological, Sympathetic Nervous System
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