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Revolutionizing Healthcare: Lab-on-a-Chip Devices Bring Medical Testing into Home

Imagine being able to detect mental health disorders or heart conditions from the comfort of your own home. This is now possible thanks to a revolutionary new device developed by University of Cincinnati engineers. The “lab-on-a-chip” device, created by researchers led by Distinguished Research Professor Chong Ahn and his students, can measure stress hormone levels from saliva, providing valuable diagnostic information that can help doctors make timely interventions.

Mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, affect over 400 million people worldwide. Prolonged cortisol elevation is linked to numerous mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. The lab-on-a-chip device can track cortisol levels in minutes using a disposable collection device that a person places in their mouth, which is then inserted into a reader. The results are transmitted quickly to a portable analyzer and smartphone.

“This device will help doctors make timely interventions,” Ahn said in an interview. “Mental health care can be an urgent situation.”

The study was published in the journal Biomedical Microdevices. Researchers also highlighted the potential of this technology for detecting other health issues, such as heart conditions.

“We can monitor troponin in the blood on a daily basis and hopefully get valuable information,” said co-author Vinitha Thiyagarajan Upaassana, a doctoral graduate at UC. “The test provides immediate results, which is important when a patient is in need of immediate care.”

In addition to mental health disorders, researchers also developed a new point-of-care-testing platform for COVID-19. The device can provide rapid and effective biochemical testing that measures troponin from a drop of blood.

“The next step would be to collaborate with psychiatrists and conduct clinical trials to see if our platform works as expected,” said co-author Supreeth Setty, a doctoral student at UC. “Point-of-care testing is a practical way to make results available quickly for everyone.”

The lab-on-a-chip device has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by providing patients with quick and accurate diagnostic information, even in remote or underserved areas. This technology could potentially save lives and improve patient outcomes worldwide.

The recent study conducted at Mount Sinai has shed new light on the complex circuitry involved in anxiety and depression. Researchers have discovered distinct roles for two dopamine receptors located on nerve cells within the ventral hippocampus, a region crucial for regulating emotions and stress responses. This groundbreaking finding expands our understanding of dopamine signaling beyond its well-known actions in other brain regions that influence reward and motivation.

The study’s senior author, Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, emphasizes the importance of the hippocampus in decision-making, particularly in anxiety-inducing situations. He notes that the newly discovered D1 and D2 expressing cells in the ventral hippocampus convey information related to decision-making under stressful conditions.

Researchers investigated the influence of dopamine signaling within the ventral hippocampus on approach/avoidance behavior in male mice. They found that D1 and D2 dopamine receptors expressed in different neuronal populations are called into play to help execute approach/avoidance decisions. These receptors and the cells that express them mediate opposite approach/avoidance responses, and are differentially impacted by dopamine transmission in that region of the brain.

The team’s unexpected behavioral observation was that mice whose D2 cells were artificially activated became much less fearful. This discovery underscores the importance of dopamine in the hippocampal circuitry and highlights the need to reconsider dopamine signaling in many brain regions associated with learning, memory, and emotional behavior.

Dr. Nestler credits his research team for their creative advances in this investigation and notes that future studies will focus on showing precisely how the dopamine-hippocampus circuit modulates approach/avoidance is dysregulated in several stress-related conditions, such as anxiety disorders and major depressive disorders (which involve increased avoidance) and in drug addiction.

By helping to delineate the neuromodulatory circuits that govern these disorders, Dr. Nestler believes that his team is taking an essential step toward addressing a leading cause of disability in humans worldwide.

This breakthrough research has significant implications for our understanding of anxiety and depression and may lead to the development of more effective treatments for these conditions.

The article highlights a crucial aspect of healthcare: the importance of doctor-patient communication in making informed medical decisions. A recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology found that patients’ fears about cataract surgery, particularly the risk of vision loss, can deter them from undergoing necessary treatment.

The research team, led by Lisa Kelly, MD, and Samantha Hu, a fourth-year medical student, surveyed 42 patients at Hoxworth Eye Clinic. The study explored the potential link between health literacy and fear surrounding cataract surgery. However, the findings revealed no correlation between lower health literacy and increased fear of surgery.

Despite clear explanations, some patients continued to harbor fears about cataract surgery. The study emphasized the significance of open communication in building trust and helping patients overcome their concerns. Dr. Kelly noted that patient education is essential but may not always suffice: “What’s equally important is building relationships and trust to help patients overcome fear.”

The research underscores the critical role physicians play in guiding patients towards informed medical decisions based on individual needs. The study also highlights the importance of doctor-patient communication in addressing fears and anxieties associated with healthcare.

Moving forward, researchers will likely delve deeper into patients’ fears around cataract surgery and explore ways to strengthen doctor-patient relationships further. This study serves as a reminder that patients are people with real fears, and their physicians must partner with them in their healthcare journey.