Elevated salivary alpha-amylase levels at awakening in patients with depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders and the leading cause of disability worldwide (WHO, 2017). Despite extensive research, no specific biomarkers for MDD have been identified to date (Fried& Nesse, 2015). Although the mean level of salivary cortisol (SC; a hormone reflecting hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity) has often been found to be elevated in patients with mood, anxiety, and somatic disorders (MAS-disorders), this possible biomarker lacks the potential to distinguish among these disorders (Rief et al., 1998; Hellhammer et al., 2009).

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - July 6, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: S.E.E.C. Bauduin, M.S. van Noorden, S.J.A. van der Werff, M. de Leeuw, A.M. van Hemert, N.J.A. van der Wee, E.J. Giltaya Source Type: research