The use of saliva steroids (cortisol and DHEA-s) as biomarkers of changing stress levels in people with dementia and their caregivers: A pilot study

This study used home self-collected saliva samples to successfully monitor cytokines and cortisol in mothers and infants, finding that a community singing intervention significantly reduced salivary interleukin-6 levels in mothers with postnatal depression.

Community singing intervention reduces maternal salivary cytokines and enhances maternal-infant cortisol synchrony in postnatal depression: biological findings from the SHAPER-PND trial — Kirkpatrick et al., Brain, behavior, and immunity (paywalled) · source ↗

• dct
• cortisol
• self-collection
• pediatric
• hormones
• liquid
• saliva
• biomarkers

Repeated self-collection of saliva for steroid hormone analysis proved feasible in dementia care dyads over eight weeks, with participants providing a mean of 4.3 to 4.9 morning samples weekly during the first seven weeks, falling to 3.3 in the final week. The music intervention was associated with lower morning cortisol concentrations in caregivers, showing that home-based saliva microsampling can objectively capture intervention effects in decentralised studies.

Assessing stress using repeated saliva concentration of steroid hormones in dementia care dyads: results from a controlled pilot care music intervention — Emami et al., Upsala journal of medical sciences · source ↗

• dct
• cortisol
• self-collection
• hormones
• saliva
• biomarkers

In a study of 46 perinatal nicotine users, dried blood spots and saliva were used weekly to measure reproductive hormones, finding that lower postpartum estradiol and greater peripartum declines in oxytocin were associated with increased nicotine craving and use. This demonstrates the feasibility of decentralised microsampling and remote surveys for longitudinal hormone tracking in vulnerable populations.

Exploring hormonal influences on nicotine craving and use across the perinatal period: A prospective longitudinal study — Allen et al., Drug and alcohol dependence reports (paywalled) · source ↗

• dct
• blood
• dbs
• cortisol
• self-collection
• dried
• fertility
• hormones
• saliva

Cortisol dynamic range measured from participant-led saliva collection was feasible and associated with higher perceived stress and anxiety in African American women, suggesting saliva self-collection can serve as a decentralised biomarker of chronic stress.

A Community-Engaged Approach for Assessment of Cortisol Dynamic Range and Multilevel Chronic Stress in African Americans: FAITH! Heart Health+ Ancillary Study — Ortiz et al., Journal of participatory medicine · source ↗

• cortisol
• self-collection
• hormones
• saliva
• biomarkers

Long-term sleep quality improved significantly during an internet-based intervention for major depressive disorder. Patients with poor sleep initially showed blunted cortisol awakening responses, which normalised as sleep quality improved, demonstrating that self-collected saliva can track biological stress changes in decentralised mental health care.

Sleep quality and the biological stress system during an internet-based intervention for major depressive disorder — Laufer et al., Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · source ↗

• saliva
• self-collection
• hormones
• cortisol
• dct