Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume 34, Issue 4 , Pages 486-496, May 2009

Salivary alpha-amylase as a non-invasive biomarker for the sympathetic nervous system: Current state of research

  • U.M. Nater

      Affiliations

    • University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: University of Zurich, Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, Binzmuehlestr. 14/Box 26, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 44 635 7382; fax: +41 44 635 7359.
    • ,
  • N. Rohleder

      Affiliations

    • Brandeis University, Dept. of Psychology, Waltham, MA, USA

Received 13 August 2008; received in revised form 23 January 2009; accepted 27 January 2009.

Summary 

Development of new biomarkers is a constantly evolving field of research endeavor in psychoneuroendocrinology. Salivary biomarkers have received special attention since they are readily accessible and easily obtained. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) has been proposed as a sensitive biomarker for stress-related changes in the body that reflect the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and a growing body of research is accumulating to support the validity and reliability of this parameter. However, questions remain to be answered before sAA can be accepted as an index of SNS activity. This review describes sAA as an emerging biomarker for stress and provides an overview of the current literature on stress-related alterations in sAA. It critically discusses how sAA might reflect changes in the autonomic nervous system. Finally, current and future fields for the application of sAA measurement are outlined.

Keywords: Alpha-amylase, Stress, Biomarker, Sympathetic nervous system

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PII: S0306-4530(09)00032-8

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.01.014

Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume 34, Issue 4 , Pages 486-496, May 2009

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