Post-awakening salivary alpha-amylase as modulator of treatment response in patients with burnout and major depression

Pallich, Gianandrea; Fischer, Susanne; La Marca, Roberto; grosse Holtforth, Martin; Hochstrasser, Barbara

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.045

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Pallich, G., Fischer, S., La Marca, R., grosse Holtforth, M., & Hochstrasser, B. (2022). Post-awakening salivary alpha-amylase as modulator of treatment response in patients with burnout and major depression. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 154, 175–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.045

Abstract

Around 50% of patients with major depression do not respond to standard first-line treatments, such as psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. At the same time, a subgroup exhibits altered functioning of stress-responsive bodily systems, such as the central locus coeruleus/sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Given that these systems impact arousal and cognition, it is possible that this subgroup contributes to the high rates of non-responders. Our aim was to investigate whether sympathetic and HPA