title: Saliva amylase as a measure of sympathetic change elicited by autogenic training in patients with functional somatic syndromes.
abstract: The aim of this study was to discuss the effect of autogenic training (AT) on patients with functional somatic syndrome (FSS) using salivary amylase, the skin temperature of the finger, subjective severity of symptoms, and psychological characteristics as measures. We assessed 20 patients with FSS and 23 healthy controls before and after AT. Baseline levels of salivary amylase prior to an AT session were significantly higher in the FSS group than in the control group. However, this difference was not significant after AT. The skin temperature of the finger increased after AT in both the FSS and control groups. AT contributed to the improvement of somatic symptoms in patients with FSS. Our results regarding psychological characteristics suggest that mood disturbances are deeply involved in the pathology of FSS. Individuals with FSS exhibited elevated levels of sympathetic activity compared with healthy controls. Our data indicates that AT eased dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system in patients with FSS. Thus, salivary amylase may be a useful index of change induced by AT in patients with FSS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan. tadashi_kiba@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiba
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanbara
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Sadanobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saka
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Nishi Kyoto Hospital, 24 Goryo Mizoura-cho, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000681:Amylases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001326:Autogenic Training / Q000379:methods*; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005385:Fingers; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000681:Amylases
keywords: Autogenic training; Dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system; Functional somatic syndrome; Salivary amylase; Sympathetic activity