Nanotechnology-driven electrochemical neurotransmitter sensing as a fundamental approach towards improving diagnostics and therapeutics: A review

Abstract

Neurotransmitters (NTs) are endogenous chemical messengers that have a wide range of key roles throughout the nervous system. It is an important signal medium of neural transfers and equally influence physiological conditions. While, abnormal levels are linked with psychotic, physical, and neurodegenerative disorders such as ADHD, autism and tourette syndrome. Therefore, their accurate and sensitive detection is of great importance. Traditional methods of NTs detection are limited to complex sample processing, high cost, and real-time diagnostics. However, an electrochemical sensing has been extensively utilized in the past few years for NTs detection, which shows better sensitivity, selectivity, and capacity for operation in complicated biological environments, constitutes a promising approach. In this review, the most successful and favorable electrochemical sensors based on innovations in electrode materials and nanostructured surfaces having substantial improvement in the analytical performances and overcoming challenges followed by future prospects in NTs detection have been reported. This review additionally looks at the progress accomplished in biosensors for neurotransmitter evaluations in microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems, smart wearable devices and other advanced technologies for the goal of real-time, portable diagnosis in neuroscience and clinics. These advances are paving the way for more effective applications of electrochemical sensing in neuroscience and clinical diagnostics.