Salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol responsiveness following electrical stimulation stress in patients with the generalized type of social anxiety disorder.
Pharmacopsychiatry
; 46(7): 225-60, 2013 Nov.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23975855
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Social anxiety disorder is believed to be a stress-induced disease. Although it can be inferred from the symptoms during attacks that there exists some abnormality of autonomic nervous system in any of the stress systems in social anxiety disorder, little evidence has been reported. This study focused on comparing the reactivity of 2 stress systems, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in patients with social anxiety disorder.METHODS:
32 patients with the generalized type of social anxiety disorder were compared with 80 age- and gender-matched controls. We collected saliva samples from patients and controls before and after electrical stimulation to measure the concentrations of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary cortisol. Profile of Mood State (POMS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) were also determined following stimulation.RESULTS:
SAA in patients displayed a significantly higher level at baseline and a significantly larger response to electrical stimulation as compared to controls, whereas no group differences were seen in any HRV. Neither within-subject nor group differences were seen in salivary cortisol levels.CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that SAD patients displayed enhanced ANS (but not HPA axis) activity vs. healthy controls.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Anxiety Disorders
/
Hydrocortisone
/
Alpha-Amylases
Type of study:
Observational_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Pharmacopsychiatry
Year:
2013
Document type:
Article