Blood Test Detects Sleep Deprivation with 99.2% Accuracy

Healthcare workers, pilots, truck drivers, and shift workers are all likely familiar with the effects of sleep deprivation, which can impair performance, safety, and overall quality of life. Scientists have devised a blood test capable of precisely determining if an individual has been awake for 24 hours or longer.

Lack of sleep heightens the chances of road and workplace accidents, raising the potential for severe injury or even death to oneself and others. Additionally, sleep deprivation has been associated with various health conditions. In our contemporary society, insufficient sleep is prevalent due to the conflicting demands of work, education, family obligations, and leisure pursuits.

Researchers Develop Blood Test to Accurately Detect Sleep Deprivation

Researchers from Monash University have pioneered a study to tackle the limitations of existing tools for assessing sleep deprivation, such as those measuring pupillary response, slow eye closures, and microsleep. These methods are susceptible to inaccuracies due to external factors like light and adrenaline levels. To overcome this challenge, the researchers developed a blood test capable of accurately detecting when an individual has been without sleep for 24 hours.

Clare Anderson, the lead author of the study, expressed optimism about this breakthrough, underscoring its potential to revolutionize the management of health and safety regarding insufficient sleep. However, she acknowledged the need for further research to refine the test.

Using a machine learning algorithm, the researchers identified a set of metabolites, substances produced during the breakdown of food, drugs, chemicals, or body tissues, that could predict sleep deprivation over a 40-hour period of wakefulness. The biomarker demonstrated an impressive accuracy rate of 99.2% in identifying individuals who had been awake for 24 hours, even without a comparison to a well-rested sample, maintaining a high accuracy level of 89.1%.

Blood Test Offers Promising Solution for Identifying Sleep-Deprived Individuals

The researchers believe that their test could pave the way for the development of future assessments capable of quickly and accurately identifying sleep-deprived individuals, particularly in safety-critical environments such as driving or workplaces.

Anderson underscored the dangers of driving after prolonged wakefulness, likening it to impaired performance under the influence of alcohol exceeding the legal limit. She emphasized the urgency of addressing sleep deprivation, particularly concerning road safety.

They envision utilizing their test similarly to the utilization of tests for alcohol concentration or drug presence in drivers.

“Next steps involve testing it in less controlled settings and possibly under forensic conditions, especially if it were to serve as evidence in accidents involving drowsy drivers,” explained Katy Jeppe, the study’s lead author. “Since the test relies on blood samples, its applicability at roadside stops is restricted. However, future studies could investigate whether saliva or breath samples can detect the identified metabolites, and thus the biomarker.”

However, achieving this goal will require further research and experimentation.

Navigating Regulatory Challenges for Implementing Sleep Deprivation Testing in Critical Environments

Jeppe highlighted the need for extensive further research and testing should there be any alterations in regulations, particularly in the event of introducing a sleep deprivation test for implementation on roads or in workplaces. “This would entail further validation of biomarkers, as well as establishing safe thresholds for sleep to prevent and recover from impairment, in addition to navigating the complex legal processes.”

Currently, the test can determine whether an individual has been awake for 24 hours or longer, but the researchers suggest that it can also detect wakefulness within an 18-hour timeframe.

Jeppe added that researchers have already made progress in developing a biomarker that indicates limited sleep over the preceding night.

In the researchers’ view, their innovative test holds the potential to be a game-changer.

“Anderson explained that there is a critical need for objective tests capable of identifying individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others, particularly in scenarios where the consequences of an error could be fatal.” Alcohol testing revolutionized road safety, significantly reducing accidents and the resulting severe injuries and fatalities. It’s conceivable that we could achieve similar outcomes with fatigue. However, substantial effort is still needed to reach this objective.”

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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