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.

The relationship between salivary amylase and the physical and psychological changes elicited by continuation of autogenic training in patients with functional somatic syndrome

“…This indicates that the sympathetic nervous system is strained in patients with FSS. This finding is in agreement with our previous study [28]. Moreover, the SAMY level under mental stress in patients with FSS was significantly higher than that in healthy controls in our previous study [18].…”

“…In our previous study, the SAMY level decreased during the first AT session in the control group, suggesting that AT is a helpful method of relaxation for healthy people [28]. In the present study, we confirmed this effect of relaxation not only in the first AT session but also after continuing AT for 4 or 8 weeks.…”

“…Although AT can reduce sympathetic hyperactivity [21, 28], it usually takes about 2 to 8 months to improve chronic symptoms by continuing AT [29]. We suggested that only one AT session as well as continuing it for 1 month can improve dysregulation of the ANS in patients with FSS.…”

“…A patient was diagnosed with FSS if he/she met the following four conditions, which were based on the diagnostic criteria from our previous study [28]: (1) chief complaints were somatic symptoms that could not be explained medically or by a psychiatric disorder, (2) a subjective symptom score ≥3 based on a visual analogue scale [30] and a ≥6-month duration of symptoms, (3) symptom-induce disabilities that affected social or daily activity (Global Assessment of Functioning Scale score [31] of ≤80), (4) and diagnosis of a disease with a review number of ≥2 in the study by Henningsen et al [3]. We began with 34 potential participants.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, however, few studies have addressed the effect of AT on the full spectrum of FSS. We previously found that the baseline levels of SAMY prior to the first AT session were significantly higher in the FSS group than in the control group, and this difference between the two groups was not significant after AT [28]. Actually, it usually takes about 2 to 8 months to improve chronic symptoms by continuing AT [29].…”