Anxiety determination by antibody-conjugated nanoparticles on an interdigitated electrode sensor

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Biosensing
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Cortisol is a crucial biomarker for stress and anxiety disorders.
• Accurate and sensitive cortisol detection is vital for clinical diagnostics.
• Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity or require complex procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for cortisol detection.
• To utilize silver nanoparticles for enhanced antibody immobilization and signal amplification.
• To establish a reliable method for quantifying cortisol relevant to anxiety disorder assessment.

Main Methods:

• Conjugating anti-cortisol antibodies with silver nanoparticles for improved sensor surface immobilization.
• Employing an interdigitated electrode sensor for electrochemical detection of cortisol.
• Performing dose-dependent analysis and linear regression with 3σ calculation for limit of detection determination.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated a dose-dependent response to cortisol.
• The limit of detection for cortisol was determined to be in the range of 0.01–0.1 ng/mL.
• The sensor exhibited high selectivity for cortisol over other hormones like norepinephrine and progesterone.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensor offers high performance for selective cortisol detection.
• This technology shows promise for non-invasive monitoring and diagnosis of anxiety disorders.
• Further research can explore its application in clinical settings for stress-related condition management.