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A small, wearable sensor capable of detecting levels of the stress hormone cortisol in sweat may soon help warn people near burnout, research shows.
Engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and start-up Xsensio said the tool could help objectively quantify stress levels.
The device is placed directly on the wearer’s skin and offers both high sensitivity and very low detection limits, the researchers said.
Along with burnout, these wearable devices could also be used to help study other stress-related conditions, such as obesity.
A small, wearable sensor that can sense levels of the stress hormone cortisol in sweat can soon help warn when people are near burnout, as shown, according to a study.
Made by our adrenal glands from cholesterol, cortisol is a steroid hormone that performs various essential functions in the human body, including regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and metabolism.
The hormone can also affect both the immune system and cardiovascular functions – and when we are placed in stressful situations, cortisol works to ensure that the body directs energy to the brain, heart, and muscles to manage the situation.
“Cortisol can be secreted on an impulse – you feel great and suddenly something happens that puts you under stress and your body starts making more hormone,” said Adrian Ionescu, author and nanoelectronics expert at EPFL.
Normally, cortisol is secreted according to the body’s daily rhythms – its release peaking between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., with levels then declining in the afternoon and evening.
“But in people with stress-related illnesses, this circadian rhythm is completely shattered,” Prof Ionescu explained.
“ And if the body produces too much or not enough cortisol, it can seriously damage an individual’s health, potentially leading to obesity, cardiovascular disease, depression or burnout. ”
While cortisol levels can be measured from blood samples, they can also be determined by analyzing sweat, saliva, and urine.
Made by our adrenal glands from cholesterol, cortisol is a steroid hormone that performs various essential functions in the human body, including regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and metabolism. Pictured is a molecular model of cortisol
In their study, Professor Ionescu and his colleagues developed a wearable smart patch that contains a transistor and graphene electrode to which special molecules are attached that bind to cortisol and have a negative charge.
When these molecules capture a cortisol molecule, they fold in on themselves, bringing the negative charge close to the surface of the electrode where it can be detected – thereby registering the presence of cortisol in sweat.
It will be the first device capable of providing 24-hour cortisol monitoring, the researchers said.
“This is the main advantage and the innovative feature of our device. Because it can be worn, scientists can collect quantitative and objective data on certain stress-related illnesses, ”added Professor Ionescu.
“And they can do it non-invasively, accurately, and instantly across the range of cortisol concentrations in human sweat.
Professor Ionescu and his colleagues have developed a wearable smart patch that contains a transistor and graphene electrode to which special molecules are attached that bind to cortisol and have a negative charge, as shown. When these molecules capture a cortisol molecule, they fold in on themselves, bringing the negative charge close to the electrode surface where it can be detected – thereby registering the presence of cortisol in sweat.
The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the sensor on Xsensio’s proprietary “Lab-on-Skin ™” platform – and are now looking to test it in real patients.
“We look forward to testing this new sensor in a hospital setting and discovering new insights into how our bodies work,” said Esmeralda Megally, CEO of Xsensio.
The researchers joined forces with experts from Lausanne University Hospital to test cortisol monitoring patches on healthy subjects and individuals with Cushing’s syndrome, Addison’s disease and stress-related obesity.
The body produces too much cortisol with Cushing’s syndrome, and with Addison’s disease, not enough.
In addition to providing 24-hour cortisol level monitoring, the patch could also help doctors assess problematic stress levels in patients with psychological illnesses.
“For now, they are assessed solely on the basis of the perceptions and states of mind of the patients, which are often subjective,” said Prof Ionescu.
“So having a reliable portable system can help physicians objectively quantify whether a patient is suffering from depression or burnout, for example, and whether their treatment is working.
“In addition, doctors would have this information in real time. This would mark a major advance in the understanding of these diseases.
In the future, the researchers added, the design of the sweat sensor could be incorporated into smart bracelets and similar fitness trackers.
“The next phase will focus on product development to turn this exciting invention into a key part of our Lab-on-Skin detection platform and bring stress monitoring to next-generation wearable devices,” Ms. Megally said.
The full results of the study were published in the journal Communications Materials.
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