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Dannie Peng

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.

Clinical testing for dopamine currently involves invasive procedures such as drawing blood intravenously or lumbar punctures to extract cerebrospinal fluid – the clear liquid that cushions the brain and spinal cord.
As well as being painful, those methods do not provide continuous real-time monitoring so they could not be used for long-term health tracking at home.
Researchers have previously experimented with wearable sensors to monitor dopamine but existing devices have drawbacks such as low sensitivity, according to the paper.
The team said such devices – based on electrochemical sensors – were prone to poor biocompatibility and electrode contamination.
For their study, the Shenyang scientists took a new approach to biosensing.
The device they came up with takes the form of a small patch covered in biocompatible “hydrogel” microneedles.
Those needles are so small that they can penetrate the outermost layer of the skin without triggering pain receptors, gently absorbing fluid found in the spaces between skin cells.
But the key part is the “chemical engine” of the patch.
According to a statement from the institute on Monday, the researchers created a nanomaterial called CMCO-S that mimics the behaviour of natural enzymes to function as a catalyst.
As it interacts with skin fluid, the dopamine detection signal is amplified.
This powerful magnification allows the patch to detect even very faint traces of dopamine to provide “in situ visual analysis” – meaning the results can be read directly from the patch itself.
In laboratory tests involving simulated skin, the device successfully identified low concentrations of dopamine.
The researchers also said their study suggested that the technology was safe for long-term wear.
But a Shanghai-based neurologist, who requested anonymity, noted that the patch would need to go through further testing before it could be considered to be a viable medical device or a tool for clinical trials.
The neurologist said the main concern was whether dopamine levels in peripheral skin fluid could reliably reflect those in the brain’s central synapses, and they said that needed to be confirmed through testing.
They also said that the microneedles could accumulate proteins that could reduce the sensitivity of the sensor.
“Long-term wearability has always been a major bottleneck for enzyme-based sensors,” the neurologist added.


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China

Researchers say their sensor can monitor levels of the neurotransmitter in real time, bringing at-home health management ‘closer to reality’


Researchers say their sensor can monitor levels of the neurotransmitter in real time, bringing at-home health management ‘closer to reality’.


Shanghai

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Chinese team’s wearable dopamine patch could be used to track depression, Parkinson’s

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Researchers say their sensor can monitor levels of the neurotransmitter in real time, bringing at-home health management ‘closer to reality’

Researchers say their sensor can monitor levels of the neurotransmitter in real time, bringing at-home health management ‘closer to reality’