TY - JOUR
T1 - Measurement and meaning of salivary cortisol: A focus on health and disease in children
AU - Jessop, D S
AU - Turner-Cobb, J M
N1 - ID number: ISI:000252352500001
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Measurement of salivary cortisol can provide important information about hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity under normal conditions and in response to stress. However, there are many variables relating to the measurement of cortisol in saliva which may introduce error and therefore may render difficult the comparison and interpretation of data between, and within, laboratories. This review addresses the effects of gender, age, time and location of sampling, units of measurement, assay conditions and compliance with the protocol, all of which have the potential to impact upon the precision, accuracy and reliability of salivary cortisol measurements in the literature. Some of these factors are applicable to both adults and children, but the measurement of salivary cortisol in children introduces aspects of unique variability which demand special attention. The specific focus of this review is upon the somewhat neglected area of methodological variability of salivary cortisol measurement in children. In addition to these methodological issues, the review highlights the use of salivary cortisol measurements to provide information about HPA axis dysfunction associated with psycho- and patho-physiological conditions in children. Novel applications for salivary cortisol measurements in future research into HPA axis activity in children are also discussed.
AB - Measurement of salivary cortisol can provide important information about hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity under normal conditions and in response to stress. However, there are many variables relating to the measurement of cortisol in saliva which may introduce error and therefore may render difficult the comparison and interpretation of data between, and within, laboratories. This review addresses the effects of gender, age, time and location of sampling, units of measurement, assay conditions and compliance with the protocol, all of which have the potential to impact upon the precision, accuracy and reliability of salivary cortisol measurements in the literature. Some of these factors are applicable to both adults and children, but the measurement of salivary cortisol in children introduces aspects of unique variability which demand special attention. The specific focus of this review is upon the somewhat neglected area of methodological variability of salivary cortisol measurement in children. In addition to these methodological issues, the review highlights the use of salivary cortisol measurements to provide information about HPA axis dysfunction associated with psycho- and patho-physiological conditions in children. Novel applications for salivary cortisol measurements in future research into HPA axis activity in children are also discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=37849040809&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10253890701365527
DO - 10.1080/10253890701365527
M3 - Article
SN - 1025-3890
VL - 11
SP - 1
EP - 14
JO - Stress - The International Journal on the Biology of Stress
JF - Stress - The International Journal on the Biology of Stress
IS - 1
ER -