Salivary Cortisol, Alpha Amylase and Immunoglobulin A Levels in Academic Stress
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Ranjith Kumar Cavala Ramesh Kumar
CoPIs:
Angel Ihie, Maimouna Kamara , Louis Scala
College:
The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology
Major:
Biology
Faculty Research Advisor(s):
Subasinghe Dias
Abstract:
Psychological stressors can have deleterious effects on the human body, and measuring salivary stress biomarkers such as cortisol, alpha-amylase, and immunoglobulin A (IgA) can provide valuable insights into the physiological response to stress. Stress activates two distinct biological systems which function together, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic adrenal medullary system (SAM). Activation of the HPA axis releases cortisol, a marker of chronic stress while the activation of sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) release catecholamines: epinephrine (Epi) and nor-epinephrine (NE) which correlates with salivary alpha amylase (sAA), a marker of acute stress. Salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) found in all mucosal surfaces of the body is an immunological stress marker, which is known to be increased in acute stress conditions and reduced in chronic stress. Young adults in society face challenges with mental health, including anxiety and depression, which research indicates are often worsened by academic stress. Consequently, they may adopt harmful coping mechanisms to manage these stressors. This study was conducted to assess the above salivary stress biomarkers in acute academic stress. A cohort of twenty-two undergraduate biology students volunteered for the study. Saliva samples were collected on two separate days: one during a regular non-exam day serving as the control and the other on the day of an academic exam. In addition to salivary biomarker analysis, the grades obtained on the exam were recorded for correlation analysis. The results revealed a non-significant increase in cortisol and IgA levels on the exam day compared to controls, while alpha-amylase levels significantly decreased (p = 0.04). This suggests that alpha-amylase may be a more reliable indicator of acute stress in young adults. Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was observed between cortisol levels and exam grades (r = -0.47), indicating that higher cortisol levels were associated with poorer academic performance. These findings underscore the potential of salivary biomarkers, particularly alpha-amylase, as valuable tools for assessing acute stress response in young adults and salivary cortisol levels as an indicator of performance, with implications for understanding and managing stress-related mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.