Psychological acute stress measurement using a wireless adhesive biosensor

Stress management is essential in this modern civilization to maintain one´s stress level low and reduce health risks, since stress is one of the primary causes leading to major chronic health disorders. The present study investigates the validity of stress index (SI) metric that objectively quantifies the psychological acute stress using a disposable adhesive biosensor worn on the chest called as HealthPatch^®. Eleven healthy volunteers (n=11) were attached with one HealthPatch sensor at left pectoralis major muscle along the cardiac axis to record modified Lead-II ECG. The subjects carried out a standard Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) protocol. During the study, the subjects filled out state anxiety form-Y1 of the State Anxiety Inventory questionnaire (sSTAI); salivary samples were obtained for salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary cortisol (sC) measurements; and the HealthPatch sensor data were wirelessly acquired. The data analyses revealed that sSTAI scores were significantly increased (P<;0.001) due to TSST compared to the baseline. But, the changes in both sAA and sC measurements were not significant (P=0.281 and P=0.792, respectively). On the other hand, SI metric of HealthPatch showed significant (P<;0.001) increase (~50%) during TSST, and shown to be sensitive to objectively track acute changes in psychological stress. Thus, HealthPatch biosensor can be valuable for continuous monitoring of psychological health and effective management of stress leading to healthy life.