Validation of an online version of the Trier Social Stress Test in a study of adolescents
Gunnar et al.
The finding, in our words
The online Trier Social Stress Test produced cortisol responses in 63% of adolescents with an effect size of 0.57 from baseline to peak, matching in-person test results. This remote protocol allows HPA axis assessment without laboratory visits, making it viable for decentralised research and populations distant from research centres.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
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.
Kirkpatrick et al., Brain, behavior, and immunity (paywalled) · source ↗
A validated LC-MS/MS assay successfully measured 13 steroid hormones and two synthetic steroids in saliva, requiring only 50 microlitres, or down to 2 to 5 microlitres for nine analytes. This shows saliva's viability for non-invasive, patient-centric microsampling and decentralised monitoring in paediatric, neonatal and adult populations.
Dahl et al., Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation (paywalled) · source ↗
Salivary glucocorticoid concentrations were comparable across Salivette Cortisol, passive drool and SalivaBio collection methods, and remained stable for 72 hours at room temperature and 4 degrees Celsius with no significant degradation after repeated freeze-thaw cycles. In children under six years, the SaliPac pacifier swab was well tolerated and collected sufficient saliva for steroid analysis in under four minutes.
Tonge et al., The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism (paywalled) · source ↗
The online Trier Social Stress Test increased cortisol and alpha amylase, increased arousal and reduced pleasure, with stronger cortisol responses in men and 64 per cent of participants classified as responders, supporting decentralised diagnostics by showing remote saliva sampling can capture stress biomarkers.
Meier et al., Psychoneuroendocrinology (paywalled) · source ↗
This review summarises the use of saliva as a non-invasive diagnostic fluid for systemic diseases, toxicology, therapeutic drug monitoring and neuropsychiatric disorders. It concludes that the ease of self-collection makes saliva particularly suitable for psychiatric patients who may struggle to cooperate with venous sampling.