title: Salivary cortisol as a biomarker in stress research.
abstract: Salivary cortisol is frequently used as a biomarker of psychological stress. However, psychobiological mechanisms, which trigger the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) can only indirectly be assessed by salivary cortisol measures. The different instances that control HPAA reactivity (hippocampus, hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenals) and their respective modulators, receptors, or binding proteins, may all affect salivary cortisol measures. Thus, a linear relationship with measures of plasma ACTH and cortisol in blood or urine does not necessarily exist. This is particularly true under response conditions. The present paper addresses several psychological and biological variables, which may account for such dissociations, and aims to help researchers to rate the validity and psychobiological significance of salivary cortisol as an HPAA biomarker of stress in their experiments.
authors.affiliation: Psychology, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany. Electronic address: albertz@uni-trier.de.
authors.forename: Dirk H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hellhammer
authors.affiliation: Psychology, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany; Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wüst
authors.affiliation: Psychology, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany; Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Brigitte M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kudielka
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone