Assessment of the Correlation between the Autonomic Nerve and Salivary Flow Using Heart Rate Variability

• Published in: Ronen Shika Igaku Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 319 - 326
• Main Authors: Kadomatsu, Shinichi, Nakagawa, Yoichi, Odagawa, Takuya, Morito, Mitsuhiko, Yamamoto, Ken, Okuno, Noriko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Gerodontology 2011; 一般社団法人 日本老年歯科医学会
• Subjects: autonomic nervous system; heart rate variability; salivary flow; 唾液分泌量; 心拍変動; 自律神経活動量
• ISSN: 0914-3866; 1884-7323
• DOI: 10.11259/jsg.26.319

The aim of the current study is to investigate the influence of resting salivary flow and Gum test on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) when two measures of salivary flow and HRV are performed simultaneously. 14 normal adults (9 males and 5 females, average : 30.6±3.8 years of age) participated in this study. 15 minutes of resting salivary flow measurement and 10 minutes of Gum test were performed on each subject. Concomitantly, HRV measurements were performed at the following 4 times : (A) 3 minutes from the start of resting salivary flow measurement, (B) 3 minutes before the completion of resting salivary flow measurement, (C) 3 minutes from the start of Gum test and (D) 3 minutes before the completion of Gum test. Simple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the relations among the parameters : Total Power (TP), Low Frequency (LF), High Frequency (HF) and LF/HF such as salivary flow at rest or Gum test, body weight, body mass index (BMI) and HRV respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the relations between salivary flow and body weight, BMI or HRV. There was an approximately 5% significant increase in average heart rate when heart rates during Gum test (period C and D) were compared with that of resting salivary flow measurement. The HRV measurement values from times A to D, TP, LF, HF and LF/HF were analyzed. There was a significant correlation between LF/HF and salivary flow at times B and D, which were just before the completion of resting salivary flow measurement and Gum test, respectively. In the current study, it was suggested that HRV measurement during salivary flow measurements could be a way to evaluate the influence of autonomic nerve activity on salivary flow. Furthermore, salivary flow appears to increase during salivary flow measurement in normal adults, when the sympathetic nervous system is more active than the parasympathetic nervous system.