Does Taichi-quan reduce psychosomatic stress? Author: Shuichi HASHIZUME1, Kimiko KAWANO2,3,4, Hidetsugu KATSURAGAWA3, Hideyuki KOKUBO3,4, Mikio YAMAMOTO3,4, Akihiko KAMADA5 and Tsuneo WATANABE3 Affiliation: 1.Research Institute, Morinaga & Co., Ltd. (Yokohama, Japan) 2.Centre for Informatics & Sciences, Nippon Medical School (Tokyo, Japan) 5.Iritech Co. Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan)3.Center for the Environmental Study of Life and Mind, Faculty of Science, Toho University (Funabashi, Japan) 4.Institute for Living Body Measurements, International Research Institute (Chiba, Japan) Conference/Journal: J. Intl. Soc. Life Info. Sci. Date published: March 2008 Other: Volume ID: 26 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 1129-133 , Word Count: 113 Chromogranin A (CgA) released into saliva is a major protein in adrenal chromaffin cells and adrenergic neurons, and a substantial index for psychosomatic stress. Changes in the concentration of salivary CgA in volunteers when they were exposed to stress and when doing Taichi-quan were monitored. Increased stress levels during performance of mental arithmetic operations were coincident with increased CgA levels. Subsequently, reduced stress and CgA levels were observed during performance of Taichi-quan. A good association was evident between CgA levels and both the subject's assessment of fatigue sensation scores and skin conductance levels. Conversely, an inverse association was observed between CgA and α-waves predominantly originating from the occipital lobe during periods of relaxation