“Modified Schirmer Test in Assessment of Salivary Flow Rate Among Patients on Antidepressants”

Use of the modified Schirmer test to measure salivary gland hypofunction/hyposalivation: Systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…A notable decrease in saliva production was observed in groups treated with antidepressants. Patients receiving tricyclic antidepressants showed a marked reduction in saliva production compared to healthy controls [21,22].…”

“…This could be particularly significant in initial assessments and screening of patients in non-specialized facilities as nursing homes. Several studies have already reported on the effectiveness of the Modified Schirmer Test [16,[21][22][23][24][25]39].…”

“…For the objective evaluation of hyposalivation, the Modified Schirmer Test (MST) has been rigorously examined for its diagnostic accuracy in relation to the established gold standard, the unstimulated salivary flow rate, either by the spitting method or by the individual leaning forward and expectorating accumulated saliva into a pre-weighed collection container or graduated tube. This comparative analysis was conducted in five of the six studies (Table 5) included in our systematic review [16,[21][22][23]25]. The primary aim of these studies was to determine the extent to which the diagnostic accuracy of the MST approaches that of the unstimulated salivary flow rate.…”

“…Equally noteworthy are the findings from the studies conducted by Kumar et al and Shruthi et al, which focused on specific patient cohorts diagnosed with depression [21,22]. In these studies, participants were grouped into those experiencing dry mouth symptoms and a control group without such symptoms.…”

“…The first use of this test in saliva research in 1986 already demonstrated its potential to effectively measure salivary flow as an indicator of age-related salivary quantity changes [20]. Recent studies have also shown the MST to be a promising alternative for the objective assessment of hyposalivation [16,[21][22][23][24][25]. A test strip is placed into the oral cavity to quantify the unstimulated salivary flow rate, typically positioned on the floor of the mouth for a standardized duration of usually 1-3 min.…”