RT Journal Article
T1 Low levels of morning salivary alpha-amylase activity predict higher number of depressive symptoms in a community sample of children
A1 Francisco Maldonado, Enrique
A1 Fernandez, Eugenia
A1 Victoria Trianes, Maria
A1 Ortiz, Carmen
A1 Enguix, Alfredo
A1 Nislin, Mari
K1 Alpha-Amylase
K1 Cortisol
K1 Depressive Symptoms
K1 Children
K1 Observational Descriptive Study
K1 Cortisol awakening response
K1 Major depression
K1 Internalizing symptoms
K1 Immunoassay system
K1 Adrenal secretion
K1 Sex-differences
K1 Follow-up
K1 Stress
K1 Disorder
K1 16-year-olds
AB Models of the etiology of depressive disorders suggest that the onset of a depressive episode is the result of a complex phenomenon based on the interaction between genetic background, critical environmental factors such as life stressors and traumatic events, and the effects of neuroendocrine changes associated with the stress response. Numerous studies have highlighted the usefulness of morning cortisol (C) as a potential predictor of depressive episodes. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of C, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity/output, and the sAA/C ratio in predicting depressive symptoms in a community sample of 99 children aged 8-11 years old. Two saliva samples were obtained in the morning on two different school days. Teachers described their pupils' behavior by using the internalizing problems scales of the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) questionnaire. Our results indicate that, regardless of gender, the best predictor of depressive/withdrawal scores and overall internalizing scores on the TRF was lower mean morning levels of sAA activity. Hence, sAA could be proposed as a biological marker for the risk of developing a first episode of depressive illness in child samples.
PB Univ murcia
SN 0212-9728
YR 2018
FD 2018-05-01
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/19390
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/19390
LA en
DS RISalud
RD Apr 18, 2025