Scientists in northeast China say they have developed a “rapid and ultrasensitive” wearable dopamine sensor to monitor levels of the critical neurotransmitter.
The smart patch could potentially be used for at-home tracking of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and depression, according to the research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shenyang Institute of Automation.
They said the patch – which uses microscopic needles to test fluid just beneath the skin – was painless and monitored dopamine levels in real time.
“The innovation opens up entirely new technological pathways for the continuous monitoring of neurotransmitters, making early screening for neurological diseases and smart, at-home health management closer to reality,” the scientists wrote in the August issue of peer-reviewed journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is essential for normal neural function and mental health. Low or high levels of dopamine are associated with neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease and depression.
Parkinson’s disease – which causes symptoms such as tremors and movement problems – is believed to be caused when the brain cannot produce enough dopamine because the nerve cells that make it stop working.
