Wearable and Implantable Cortisol‐Sensing Electronics for Stress Monitoring

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. e2211595 - n/a
• Main Authors: Ok, Jehyung, Park, Sumin, Jung, Yei Hwan, Kim, Tae‐il
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Antibodies; bioelectronics; Body fluids; cortisol sensors; Electronic modules; Electronics; Homeostasis; Hormones; implantable electronics; Imprinted polymers; medical devices; Monitoring; Sensors; Stress; wearable electronics; Wearable technology; cortisol sensors; implantable electronics; medical devices; bioelectronics; wearable electronics
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211595

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is released from the body in response to stress. Although a moderate level of cortisol secretion can help the body maintain homeostasis, excessive secretion can cause various diseases, such as depression and anxiety. Conventional methods for cortisol measurement undergo procedures that limit continuous monitoring, typically collecting samples of bodily fluids, followed by separate analysis in a laboratory setting that takes several hours. Thus, recent studies demonstrate wearable, miniaturized sensors integrated with electronic modules that enable wireless real‐time analysis. Here, the primary focus is on wearable and implantable electronic devices that continuously measure cortisol concentration. Diverse types of cortisol‐sensing techniques, such as antibody‐, DNA‐aptamer‐, and molecularly imprinted polymer‐based sensors, as well as wearable and implantable devices that aim to continuously monitor cortisol in a minimally invasive fashion are discussed. In addition to the cortisol monitors that directly measure stress levels, other schemes that indirectly measure stress, such as electrophysiological signals and sweat are also summarized. Finally, the challenges and future directions in stress monitoring and management electronics are reviewed. A wearable and implantable device can be placed on the body to continuously monitor the status of the subject. Cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress, varies in concentration among individuals and its fluctuations are not consistent. In this review, recent research that utilizes continuous measurements to analyze the dynamic stress response is examined.