Decreased salivary alpha-amylase reactivity for excluded young women after a speech task

Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) has gained popularity as an easily collected biomarker for sympathetic nervous system activation, and research has shown increases in sAA after completing experimental stress tasks in certain groups. However, recent work suggests that salivary cortisol, another stress bi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiology & behavior 2024-04, Vol.277, p.114501-114501, Article 114501
Main Authors: Stout, Madison E., Keirns, Bryant H., Medlin, Austin R., Patel, Devanshi J., Byrd-Craven, Jennifer, Hawkins, Misty A.W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
alpha-amylase
cortisol
Cyberball
sympathetic nervous system
tend-and-befriend
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Summary:Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) has gained popularity as an easily collected biomarker for sympathetic nervous system activation, and research has shown increases in sAA after completing experimental stress tasks in certain groups. However, recent work suggests that salivary cortisol, another stress biomarker, is suppressed after a speech task among experimentally induced exclusion in young women. The present analysis investigated the sAA response in biologically female undergraduates (n=31) who completed a game of Cyberball and then a speech anticipation task. Results showed that women in the social exclusion experimental group had a greater decrease in sAA compared to young women in the inclusion group after the speech task. Results of this study provide support for stress response suppression in women who have experienced social exclusion. The present findings provide pilot evidence for future, larger studies to advance the tend-and-befriend theory.
ISSN:0031-9384
1873-507X
DOI:10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114501