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BMC Psychiatry

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Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Salivary cortisol in post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors: Xiongfeng Pan, Zhipeng Wang, Xiaoli Wu, Shi Wu Wen, Aizhong Liu

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2018

Abstract

Background

Studies investigating salivary cortisol level as susceptibility marker for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) produced inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to compare salivary cortisol concentration levels in PTSD patients with those in controls by synthesizing published data.

Methods

We did a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of studies comparing concentrations of salivary cortisol between patients with PTSD and controls. The electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Psyc-ARTICLES were searched for relevant articles. A random-effects model with restricted maximum-likelihood estimator is used to synthesize the effect size (assessed by standardized mean difference).

Results

A total of 784 articles were identified of which 22 were included in the final analysis. A trend of lower salivary cortisol levels was found in PTSD patients when compared with the controls (SMD = − 0.28, 95% CI-0.53;-0.04, p = 0.022). Subgroup analysis showed that the salivary cortisol levels were lower in patients with PTSD than in controls in studies conducted after 2007 or in studies using saliva samples collected in the morning.

Conclusions

The evidence from this meta-analysis supports that salivary samples collected in the morning consistently showed a lower salivary cortisol level in patients with PTSD than in controls, although whether salivary cortisol could be used as a diagnostic tool requires further research.

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Title: Salivary cortisol in post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Xiongfeng Pan
Zhipeng Wang
Xiaoli Wu
Shi Wu Wen
Aizhong Liu
Publication date: 01-12-2018
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1910-9

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Salivary cortisol in post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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