UZH researchers detect fatigue in saliva

(CONNECT) Researchers at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Zurich (UZH) have demonstrated in a study that saliva tests can provide insights into fatigue and exhaustion. According to a press release, the team led by Thomas Krämer, professor of forensic pharmacology and toxicology, was able to identify ten biomarkers that provide information on this.

Fatigue has long since become a societal problem. According to studies, one-third of the Swiss population suffers from sleep deprivation. In their study, researchers at UZH sought to investigate the link between metabolism and sleep deprivation. To this end, they studied 20 healthy young men who typically slept seven to nine hours a night. The participants were subjected to various sleep-deprivation scenarios. At the same time, a standard night was examined in accordance with the rules. The team analyzed the saliva samples using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Machine learning was used to search for molecular patterns.

“We have found that severe fatigue affects about ten percent of all biomolecules in saliva,” Michael Scholz, the study’s lead author, is quoted as saying in the press release. “The challenge was to filter out, from tens of thousands of molecules, precisely those that reliably indicate fatigue. Using state-of-the-art technology, we were able to identify ten biomarkers that do exactly that.”

In a subsequent field study, the ten patented biomarkers will be tested under real-world conditions, and a rapid test will be developed. This could lead to greater safety on the roads and in relevant workplaces. The study was published in the latest issue of ACS Publications. ce/ww