Abstract
This project develops alternative approach for screening of mental disease or the related mental health. This started with sweat volatile compound database collection and identification of the marker compounds using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The related instrument and consumables have been continuously supported by the Sci Spec limited company. The sweat samples were collected by inserting cottons under armpits for 10-15 min followed by the 10 min analysis with GC-IMS. The investigated groups of samples were nurses in Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya Hospital, Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital, Buriram Hospital and Uttaradit Hospital. These populations involve risk in getting stress especially during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the night shift work. The focused set of hospitals in the proposal were that in south which were different from the actually investigated group. This was according to the reviewer’s suggestion to expand the range of hospitals covering the overall regions in Thailand. From the initial investigation of sweat samples from 120 volunteers with the collected questionnaire data, the sweat analysis could be used for screening of depression, stress and sleeping quality with the accuracy of 64, 75 and 82, respectively. During the sweat sample collection, the mental health evaluation was based on the standard questionnaires with the risk volunteers further confirmed by psychiatrist diagnosis. Since the research is based on the survey to obtain the database, mental illness screening service had been provided for the volunteers along with the project progress. The obtained data showed much smaller numbers for the risk groups which are desirable. This also leads to difficulty in biomarker compound discovery. The budget had then been adjusted to cover a larger set of samples with the extended sample collection and analysis. This continued until the last week of the project. The period of this was much longer than that in the initial plan. In addition, the adjusted budget also covered the administration, operation and equipment costs to push the developed approach including the portable device towards the actual application within one year of the project. However, the collected blood samples will be analyzed in the future with additional budget. During this project period, all the mental health data were obtained with most of the sweat samples analyzed with GC-IMS as shown in the result section. Although all of these data could not be effectively employed during this one year, some of the data could be used to achieve the initial research goal. To this end, the stress marker compounds have been discovered with GC-IMS. Beside the research in preparation for publication, this project had gained great public attention with television and radio broadcast in Thailand as well as in the news and internet in several countries. In addition, the research was further developed in a platform of portable electronic nose which allowed sweat-based screening of stress within 20 min per sample with the initial accuracy of 100% (n=15). This approach together with GC-IMS were applied for stress screening for students and staffs in Chulalongkorn University and nurses in Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya hospital. The developed approaches are more rapid and simpler than the conventional diagnostic method and capable of massive stress screening. It should be noted with the limited budget and time that the electronic nose device was rented from MUI Robotic company combined with our developed databased for the earliest actual application.
