Sialochemical Profile in Depressive Individuals under Antidepressant Therapy: An Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is a mental disorder that is pervasive and affects people all around the World. In India about one in five people are affected by depressive disorders. Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) affected by depressive disorder can affect salivary composition, since salivary secretion is controlled by the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervations. Likewise, antidepressants are the drugs which can elevate mood in depressive disorders, and also have potential to alter salivary secretion rate and their composition. Alteration in salivary composition can affects oral health and makes them vulnerable for oral infection. Aim: To study the sialochemical alteration in depressive individuals and to compare the effect of antidepressant therapy (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors-two month course) on the same patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 subjects-Group I (40 controls), Group II (40-depressive individuals) and Group III (Group II depressive individuals after two months course of antidepressant therapy). Depression level was assessed with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Whole unstimulated saliva was collected and subjected to sialochemical analysis (sodium, potassium, chloride, total protein, urea, salivary amylase, calcium, pH). The parameters were statistically analysed using Unpaired t-test to compare Group I and II and Paired t-test to compare Group II and III. Results: It showed statistically significant alteration in parameters such as total protein, salivary α-amylase, chloride, and calcium. While comparing Group II and Group III it showed significant reduction in total protein and calcium levels in Group III individuals. Conclusion: The post-treatment sialochemical analysis showed that depressive individuals got stabilised and reverted back to the normal baseline value of the healthy individuals which proves that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) does not produce profound sialochemical alteration.

Keywords

• depressive disorder
• neurophysiology
• norepinephrine sialochemistry