Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, KY 40506, United States.
Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) was examined as a predictor of children's externalizing symptoms cross-sectionally when children were in the 3rd grade (T1; N=64) and again in the 5th grade (T2; N=54) and longitudinally over two years. Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity, indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), was examined as a moderator of the sAA and child externalizing link. Participants were healthy, typically developing children, 34% of whom were African American and the rest European American. At each time point, saliva samples were collected during afternoon laboratory visits and assayed for sAA. Children's RSA was measured during baseline conditions and in response to an inter-adult argument and a star-tracing task. Cross-sectional associations between sAA and externalizing symptoms at T1 and T2 were moderated by PNS functioning. Longitudinally, sAA was directly associated with changes in externalizing symptoms in a non-linear fashion. Specifically, lower externalizing symptoms were predicted for children with moderate levels of sAA, but higher externalizing was predicted for children with higher or lower levels of sAA. Findings highlight the importance of the contemporaneous assessment of SNS and PNS functioning in the prediction of child psychopathology, and the need to examine curvilinear relations between ANS functioning and behavior
Salivary alpha-amylase, cortisol and chromogranin A responses to a lecture: impact of sex.
The aim of this study was to (1) examine the presence of stress on professors when they teach in front of 200 students and analyse objectively such stress using biomarkers such as salivary cortisol, chromogranin A (CgA) and alpha-amylase (AA) (2) investigate whether sex affects the reactivity of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol concentrations and the interaction of both hormonal systems. Fifty-two participants (26 women and 26 men) collected nine unstimulated saliva samples on 2 days, (one working day, and one resting day).
Cortisol concentrations and AA activity measured on the teaching day were significantly higher than those noted on the resting values. No differences between the resting day and the teaching day were reported for CgA. Our results showed a cortisol response to teaching, which was characterized by an anticipatory rise. The alpha-amylase level was significantly increased after the end of the lecture, and returned to the pre-lecture level 30 min after the end of the lecture.
The awakening cortisol response noted on the teaching day was significantly higher in females than in males. No baseline sex differences in sAA and CgA were observed and men and women seem to have a comparable reactivity in salivary alpha-amylase , CgA and cortisol levels on lecture stress. The mechanisms that leads to modify activity of salivary alpha-amylase and CgA due to stress is not entirely understood and further research is needed to elucidate them.
Laboratoire AMAPP, UFRSTAPS-2, Allée du Château, Orléans Cedex, France.
Cortisol concentrations and AA activity measured on the teaching day were significantly higher than those noted on the resting values. No differences between the resting day and the teaching day were reported for CgA. Our results showed a cortisol response to teaching, which was characterized by an anticipatory rise. The alpha-amylase level was significantly increased after the end of the lecture, and returned to the pre-lecture level 30 min after the end of the lecture.
The awakening cortisol response noted on the teaching day was significantly higher in females than in males. No baseline sex differences in sAA and CgA were observed and men and women seem to have a comparable reactivity in salivary alpha-amylase , CgA and cortisol levels on lecture stress. The mechanisms that leads to modify activity of salivary alpha-amylase and CgA due to stress is not entirely understood and further research is needed to elucidate them.
Laboratoire AMAPP, UFRSTAPS-2, Allée du Château, Orléans Cedex, France.
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