A multi-biomarker wearable biosensor for assisted mental health monitoring

Dynamic monitoring of psychological and physiological states is important for supporting mental health assessment. However, most existing sensors are invasive and lack real-time capabilities, limiting their practical application. Here, we present a wearable biosensing platform for non-invasive assessment of mental health—related biomarkers through sweat analysis. The device integrates a flexible skin interface with molecularly imprinted polymers for high molecular specificity and sweat-stimulation electrodes that induce perspiration under resting conditions. A spiral-shaped sweat collection system enables directional transport to sensing zones, allowing real-time quantification of tyrosine and tryptophan—two biomarkers associated with psychological states. A dopamine sensor was also incorporated, showing excellent electrochemical performance with a detection limit of 0.1 μM L⁻¹ in artificial sweat. Preliminary testing with collected sweat samples confirmed the feasibility of dopamine detection in real sweat. Given the low endogenous dopamine levels and individual variability, these results serve as proof-of-concept. The detection limits for tryptophan and tyrosine were both 1 μM L⁻¹, supporting the sensor’s sensitivity and applicability. Overall, this wearable platform demonstrates strong potential as an auxiliary tool for multi-biomarker monitoring to support mental health management in daily life.