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Faculty of Medicine Foča, University of East Sarajevo , Lukavica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
Faculty of Medicine Foča, University of East Sarajevo , Lukavica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
Faculty of Medicine Foča, University of East Sarajevo , Lukavica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
Faculty of Medicine Foča, University of East Sarajevo , Lukavica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
Institute for Forensic psychiatry , Sokolac , Bosnia and Herzegovina
Introduction. Salivary uric acid (UA) has been proposed as a non-invasive biomarker of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in psychiatric disorders. This scoping review aimed to map evidence on salivary UA in psychiatric conditions and during acute psychosocial stress, identify methodologies, and highlight gaps.
Methods. PubMed was searched (2014–2025) following JBI scoping review guidelines and PRISMA-ScR. Original human studies measuring salivary UA in psychiatric populations or stress paradigms were included. Data on study characteristics, saliva collection, and main findings were extracted. Risk-of-bias assessment
was not performed.
Results. Seven studies (483 participants: psychiatric n=208, healthy stress-exposed n=275) met criteria. Evidence covered acute stress (n=3), dementia/Alzheimer’s (n=2), bipolar disorder (n=1), and eating disorders (n=1). Salivary UA was elevated during acute stress and in bipolar disorder, reduced in dementia, unchanged in Alzheimer’s, and elevated in eating disorders. Protocols and confounder control were heterogeneous.
Conclusion. Evidence is limited and methodologically diverse. Preliminary findings are promising for stress reactivity and bipolar disorder, but insufficient for clinical application. Future research requires standardized protocols, longitudinal designs, and adjustment for confounders.
Conceptualization, M.K. and B.K.; Investigation, M.K. and B.K.; Methodology, M.K. and B.K.; Writing – original draft, M.K. and B.K.; Writing – review & editing, M.K., B.K. and M.J.; Formal Analysis, B.K.; Visualization, B.K.; Supervision, S.M. and D.P.S.; Validation, S.M. and D.P.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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