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China researchers develop painless wearable dopamine patch
The patch uses microscopic needles under the skin to measure dopamine in real time, aiming to enable earlier screening for conditions linked to low dopamine.
Scientists in northeast China say they have developed a wearable dopamine sensor designed for rapid, ultrasensitive monitoring of the neurotransmitter. According to SCMP Economy, the wearable smart patch uses microscopic needles to test fluid just beneath the skin, and the team said it was painless while tracking dopamine levels in real time.
The researchers, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shenyang Institute of Automation, said the technology could support early screening for neurological diseases and at home health management. They described the work as being published in the August issue of the peer reviewed journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics, per SCMP Economy.
SCMP Economy reports that the team pointed to Parkinson’s disease as a condition tied to low dopamine, noting that Parkinson’s symptoms include tremors and movement problems and is believed to occur when the brain cannot produce enough dopamine because nerve cells that make it stop working. The researchers also suggested potential uses for monitoring depression, a condition they said could benefit from at home dopamine tracking.