Saliva Collection with Salivettes®. Is a Sympathetic Stimulus

Author(s): Mariauzouls, C., von, B. , K

Abstract: Saliva collection with salivettes® for determination of salivary cortisol and other components is a commonly used technique that is quick and hygienic. 'Me goal of the present study was to determine whether chewing of the cotton swab of salivettes ® is a sympathetic stimulus and, if yes, whether this stimulus is strong enough to affect salivary cortisol. We found that chewing a cotton swab caused acute transient sympathetic reflex responses (increases in heart rate, respiration frequency and skin conductance; decreases in finger tip microcirculation measured with laser Doppler flowmetry, photoplethysmography and skin temperature). Similar effects were noted by chewing gum. However, the salivary cortisol concentration was not affected by the chewing procedure. We conclude that the sympathetic stimulus caused by chewing a cotton swab for saliva collection was strong but did not influence the level of salivary cortisol. We hypothesize that it is possible to investigate responses of the autonomic nervous system associated with regulatory mechanisms which do not necessarily involve the entire hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. An unplanned observation was that in a volunteer who accidentally fainted before the measurements, salivary cortisol levels reached values of up to 85.6 nmol/l, about 10 times higher values than under normal conditions measured the next day.

Keyword(s): Speichelsammlung

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