Rapid detection of depression by volatile organic compounds from exhalation

Depression is a pervasive and often undetected mental health condition, which poses significant challenges for early diagnosis due to its silent and subtle nature. To evaluate exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as non-invasive biomarkers for the detection of depression using a virtual surface acoustic wave sensors array (VSAW-SA). A total of 245 participants were recruited from the Hangzhou Community Health Service Center, including 38 individuals diagnosed with depression and 207 control subjects. Breath samples were collected from all participants and subjected to analysis using VSAW-SA. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess the relationship between VOCs and depression. The findings revealed that the responses of virtual sensor ID 14, 44, 59, and 176, which corresponded respectively to ethanol, trichloroethylene or isoleucine, octanoic acid or lysine, and an unidentified compound, were sensitive to depression. Taking into account potential confounders, these sensor responses were utilized to calculate a depression detection indicator. It has a sensitivity of 81.6% and a specificity of 81.6%, with an area under the curve of 0.870 (95% CI = 0.816-0.923). Conclusions: exhaled VOCs as non-invasive biomarkers of depression could be detected by a VSAW-SA. Large-scale cohort studies should be conducted to confirm the potential ability of the VSAW-SA to diagnose depression.