Recitation Mode Is Associated With Salivary CREB and Cortisol Responses during Qur'anic Recitation

Spiritual practices such as Qur'anic recitation are commonly associated with psychological and physiological regulation; however, their salivary biomarker correlates remain insufficiently understood. This exploratory study examined whether different modes of Qur'anic recitation were associated with changes in salivary cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), a biomarker related to plasticity-associated pathways, and cortisol, a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity.

The sample comprised three nonrandomized, criterion-defined conditions: Passive Control (n = 20; participants unable to read Qur'anic Arabic), Sight-Reading (n = 30), and Memorized Recitation (n = 30). Saliva samples were collected immediately before and after the experimental task or passive rest period. Salivary CREB and cortisol concentrations were quantified using ELISA. Post-task CREB levels were analyzed using ANCOVA with baseline CREB as a covariate. Cortisol responses were analyzed using change scores, Welch's ANOVA, and an additional robust factorial model with HC3 heteroscedasticity-consistent standard errors to evaluate exploratory Condition × Gender patterns.

After controlling for baseline CREB levels, experimental condition had a significant effect on post-task salivary CREB, F(2, 76) = 8.16, p < 0.001, η²p = 0.18. Memorized recitation showed higher adjusted post-task CREB levels than both sight-reading and passive control conditions. Cortisol change scores also differed significantly across conditions, Welch's F(2, 40.02) = 30.76, p < 0.001. Both active recitation conditions were associated with cortisol reduction relative to passive rest, with no significant difference between sight-reading and memorized recitation. Although descriptive data suggested a possible gender-related divergence in the memorized recitation condition, the Condition × Gender interaction did not remain statistically significant under robust estimation and was therefore interpreted as exploratory.

These preliminary findings suggest that Qur'anic recitation modes are associated with distinct salivary biomarker patterns. Memorized recitation was linked to higher adjusted salivary CREB levels, whereas both active recitation modes were associated with cortisol attenuation relative to passive rest. Because the present design did not include active non-Qur'anic vocalization or neutral reading control conditions, the specificity of these effects to Qur'anic content cannot be determined. Future studies should include active control conditions and larger gender-stratified samples to clarify the mechanisms underlying these biomarker responses.