Whole unstimulated salivary flow rate decreases during acute stressful condition

Eric H Frederiksen; Marcia V Rojas Ramirez; Isabel Moreno-Hay; Craig S Miller; Charles R Carlson

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2024.02.028

Whole unstimulated salivary flow rate decreases during acute stressful condition

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2024 Mar 11:S2212-4403(24)00096-8. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2024.02.028. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Eric H Frederiksen¹, Marcia V Rojas Ramirez¹, Isabel Moreno-Hay², Craig S Miller³, Charles R Carlson⁴

Affiliations

¹ US Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Yokosuka, Japan.
² Orofacial Pain Center, College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
³ Center for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Electronic address: cmiller@uky.edu.
⁴ Department of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

PMID: 38521649
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2024.02.028

Abstract

Objective: To examine the influence of acute stress on salivary flow using a validated stressor paradigm.

Study design: This uniform crossover study consisted of 40 healthy adults who underwent the Trier Social Stress Test, consisting of a 5-minute mental arithmetic task (MAT), and a nonstressful task (NST), consisting of a 5-minute free speech task. The order of the tasks was counterbalanced and unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) was measured in 2 groups of 20 participants during each 5-minute task condition, with a 10-minute washout period between tasks. At baseline, mathematical ability was self-reported and psychological distress was measured using the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Heart rate (HR) and breathing rate (BR) were recorded during each task.

Results: Age, sex, HR, BR, and psychological distress were similar between groups at baseline (P > .05). During the MAT, HR increased significantly and mean UWS flow rate decreased significantly compared with the NST (P < .001).

Conclusions: An acute psychobiological stressor task was associated with a rapid decrease in salivary flow in adults. Thus, stress can contribute to reduced salivary flow and should be considered as a factor during the diagnostic workup of patients who complain of a dry mouth.