Salivary reactivity in women with bulimia nervosa across treatment

We examined salivary reactivity to a high-risk binge food in women with bulimia before and after cognitive-behavioral treatment. Prior to treatment, there was no change in salivation after presentation of high-risk food cues. After treatment, salivation increased significantly (p = .002) over baseline after presentation of the same foods. Salivary reactivity was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure, but was unrelated to heart rate, self-report anxiety, or depression. Changes in salivary reactivity may be a meaningful clinical index worthy of further investigation in this population.