Summary: Researchers have created a portable device, referred to as a “lab-on-a-chip,” capable of measuring cortisol levels from saliva. This innovation provides a quick and objective method for assessing stress and mental health risks. The setup includes a disposable saliva collector along with a handheld reader that communicates results to a smartphone in just minutes.
Unlike conventional questionnaires that depend on self-reporting, this device offers clinicians biochemical data, which aids in prompt mental health interventions. The technology is also promising for identifying other health issues, like heart attacks, by detecting specific biomarkers such as troponin in blood.
Key Facts:
- Quick Mental Health Evaluation: The device assesses cortisol and DHEA levels from saliva, providing objective insights into stress rapidly.
- User-Friendly and Mobile: Patients can perform tests at home and easily share results with healthcare professionals through their smartphones.
- Broader Applications: The technology can also measure cardiac biomarkers such as troponin, potentially assisting in heart attack diagnosis.
Source: University of Cincinnati
Engineers at the University of Cincinnati have introduced a new diagnostic tool aimed at detecting depression and anxiety.
Chong Ahn, a distinguished research professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at UC, along with his students, developed this lab-on-a-chip technology to measure cortisol, a stress hormone, from a patient’s saliva.
Identifying high levels of stress hormones can yield valuable diagnostic insights, even when patients don’t express feelings of anxiety or depression through standard mental health assessments.
Mental health disorders affect over 400 million people globally. Anxiety and depression rank among the top disability causes worldwide. Elevated cortisol levels have links to various mental health issues.
The lab-on-a-chip system enables tracking of cortisol levels via a disposable collector that is placed in the mouth and subsequently analyzed. Results can be shared with a portable analyzer and smartphone in minutes.
The findings were published in the journal Biomedical Microdevices.
Ahn emphasized that timely mental health care is essential, stating that this technology could aid in quicker interventions.
Patients can self-administer the test and communicate results through a web app, he added.
Supreeth Setty, a UC doctoral student and co-author, is also engaged in research examining DHEA, a hormone that counteracts cortisol effects.
Studies indicate that high cortisol-to-DHEA ratios can signal chronic stress associated with anxiety and depression.
Setty highlighted the tests as providing objective data that can enhance traditional mental health screenings.
“Point-of-care testing allows for rapid results that are accessible to everyone,” he remarked.
Unlike mental health questionnaires that may rely on a patient’s honesty and self-awareness, cortisol and DHEA measurements are objective and can highlight concerning stress levels.
Setty mentioned that the next phase involves collaborating with psychiatrists for clinical trials to validate their platform.
Other contributors to the study included UC doctoral graduate Vinitha Thiyagarajan Upaassana and Heeyong Jang. The project received partial funding from UC’s Technology Accelerator Project.
Besides mental health evaluation, this technology could be extended to diagnose other medical conditions.
For instance, researchers explored the detection of troponin, a protein that is released into the bloodstream following heart damage, as in a heart attack. The amount of troponin correlates with the extent of heart injury.
Elevated cardiac troponin levels, combined with symptoms like chest pain, may indicate an ongoing heart attack.
Recent research in the journal Analytical Chemistry showcased an innovative device for quickly measuring troponin from a blood sample.
Jang noted that post-heart attack, patients have a higher likelihood of experiencing another event.
“We can track troponin levels daily, which is vital for providing timely care,” he stated.
