title: The impact of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation on salivary cortisol and salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA).
abstract: This study examined the acute effects of relaxation training on salivary cortisol and salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA). Members of age- and gender-matched undergraduate student pairs were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. Forty-one experimental subjects were led through Abbreviated Progressive Relaxation Training (APRT) during a 1-h laboratory session; 14 control subjects merely sat quietly in the laboratory for an equal amount of time. All subjects provided pre- and post-intervention saliva samples and self-report data on state anxiety, perceived stress, and relaxation levels. Heart rate was also monitored immediately before and after APRT or quiet sitting. Results indicated that a brief relaxation exercise led to experimental subjects having significantly lower levels of post-intervention salivary cortisol (p = .036) and significantly higher levels of post-intervention sIgA concentration (p < .001) and secretion rate (p < .001) than control subjects. The data suggest that relaxation training may play a role in immunoenhancement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois 62026-1121, USA. lpawlow@siue.edu
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pawlow
authors.forename: Gary E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002138:Calibration; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D006854:Hydrocortisone