TITLE:
Increase in Salivary Alpha-Amylase Levels among Non-Attending Junior High School Students Diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder
AUTHORS:
Takuji Inagaki, Michiharu Nagahama, Kiminori Kawano, Rei Wake, Tsuyoshi Miyaoka, Jun Horiguchi
KEYWORDS:
Autonomic Function, Junior High School, Salivary Alpha-Amylase, School Non-Attendance, Social Anxiety Disorder
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science,
Vol.7 No.8,
August
18,
2017
ABSTRACT: Purpose: Several studies have demonstrated that
the measurement of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) levels is a useful tool for
evaluating the autonomic nervous system. Psychosocial stress increases the
release of sAA as a useful marker for autonomic nervous system (ANS). To our knowledge, although some studies have evaluated
sAA levels under psychosocial stress, no studies have investigated the changes
in sAA activity that occur in junior high school students who are not attending
school due to social anxiety disorder (SAD). We aimed to investigate the
relationship between the sAA levels and psychiatric states of such patients.
Methods: The study subjects consisted of SAD patients (n = 39) and healthy controls
(n = 57). We used a portable hand-held monitor to measure the level of sAA and
State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI) to evaluate the psychiatric state. Results:
The patients’ sAA activity was significantly higher than that of the controls
(n = 57) (p p p p