Salivary uric acid in psychiatric disorders and acute psychosocial stress: a scoping review

pstrongIntroduction. /strongSalivary 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.nbsp;br /strongMethods./strong PubMed was searched (2014ndash;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 assessmentnbsp;br /was not performed.br /strongResults. /strongSeven studies (483 participants: psychiatric n=208, healthy stress-exposed n=275) met criteria. Evidence covered acute stress (n=3), dementia/Alzheimerrsquo;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 Alzheimerrsquo;s, and elevated in eating disorders. Protocols and confounder control were heterogeneous.nbsp;br /strongConclusion. /strongEvidence 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./p