ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to examine the association between auditory and visual working memory (WM) performance and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary flow rate (SFR) in a sample of 63 children (38 boys). WM was assessed by means of WISC-V subtests: four auditory subtests (Digit Span and Letter-Number Sequencing) and one visual subtest (Picture Span). SAA activity, output, and SFR were measured at baseline (10 min prior to testing), one minute prior to testing, one minute after the end of the auditory WM subtests and one minute after the end of the visual WM subtest. Our statistical analyses showed an association among SAA activity, output and SFR levels and the number of recalled digits in the last attempt score in Letter-Number Sequencing subtest. Specifically, our results showed that working performance in this task was associated with a concurrent decrease in SFR (r(63) = -0.423, p < .05). This salivary measure was the best predictor of this specific index of working memory performance (ß = -0.423, p < .05). These results show that the changes in SFR, which represents changes in parasympathetic tone, could be employed in future studies as a noninvasive marker of working memory performance in child studies.
Subject(s)
Memory, Short-Term/physiology , Salivary alpha-Amylases/metabolism , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Salivary alpha-Amylases/physiologyABSTRACT
Models of the etiology of depressive disorders suggest that the onset of a depressive episode is the result of a complex phenomenon based on the interaction between genetic background, critical environmental factors such as life stressors and traumatic events, and the effects of neuroendocrine changes associated with the stress response. Numerous studies have highlighted the usefulness of morning cortisol (C) as a potential predictor of depressive episodes. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of C, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity/output, and the sAA/C ratio in predicting depressive symptoms in a community sample of 99 children aged 8-11 years old. Two saliva samples were obtained in the morning on two different school days. Teachers described their pupils' behavior by using the internalizing problems scales of the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) questionnaire. Our results indicate that, regardless of gender, the best predictor of depressive/withdrawal scores and overall internalizing scores on the TRF was lower mean morning levels of sAA activity. Hence, sAA could be proposed as a biological marker for the risk of developing a first episode of depressive illness in child samples
Los modelos sobre la etiología de los trastornos depresivos sugieren que el inicio de un episodio depresivo es el resultado de un complejo fenómeno que se basa en la interacción entre la carga genética, factores ambientales críticos tales como eventos vitales estresantes y traumáticos, y el efecto de los cambios neuroendocrinos asociados con la respuesta de estrés. Numerosos estudios han resaltado la utilidad de los niveles matutinos de cortisol (C) como un potencial predictor de episodios depresivos. El objetivo del estudio fue comparar la efectividad del C, de la actividad/secreción de la alfa-amilasa salivar (AAs) y de su ratio para predecir la sintomatología depresiva en una muestra comunitaria de 99 niños con edades entre los 8-11 años. Dos muestras de saliva fueron obtenidas en la mañana en dos días escolares. Los profesores describieron el comportamiento de sus estudiantes usando la escala Teacher's Report Form (TRF). Nuestros resultados indican que, con independencia del género, el mejor predictor de las puntuaciones de depresión/aislamiento y del total de alteraciones internalizadas del TRF fue mostrar bajos niveles de actividad de AAs en la mañana. Por lo tanto, esta medida salivar podría ser usada como un marcador biológico del riesgo para el desarrollo de un primer episodio de depresivo infantil
