title: Salivary chromogranin-A as a marker of psychological stress during a cognitive test battery in humans.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the salivary Chromogranin-A (CgA) response to the psychological stress induced by a cognitive test battery. The subjects were 14 healthy volunteers administered the cognitive test battery CogScreen Aeromedical Edition (CogScreen-AE). CogScreen-AE is a test of reaction time and fundamental cognitive ability in the assessment of aeroplane pilots. The subjects were given five batteries of the test (1st approximately 5th) on separate days with 2 week intervals. Saliva samples were collected at 20 min before the test (BASE), immediately before the test (PRE), in the middle of the test (MID), and 5 min after the test (POS) for each subject. The concentration of CgA was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ANOVA revealed a significant by time interaction (BASE, PRE, MID and POS) without a significant effect of battery interaction (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th). The CgA concentration increased at PRE (2.46 +/- 0.24 pmol.mg protein- 1) from BASE (1.19 +/- 0.10 pmol.mg protein- 1). CgA level remained increased in the MID (2.90 +/- 0.26 pmol.mg protein- 1) and remained high in the POS samples (2.81 +/- 0.23 pmol.mg protein- 1). Salivary CgA remained at basal levels during a control study over the same time course without exposure to CogScreen-AE. The changes in salivary CgA secretion as a result of exposure to a cognitive task may indicate psychological stress in humans.
authors.affiliation: Aeromedical Laboratory, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, 1-2-10 Sakae-cho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo, 190-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanamaru
authors.forename: Azusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kikukawa
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053379:Chromogranin A