Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new wearable device designed to provide objective, continuous, and real-time monitoring of stress. The device, called the Smart Quantitative and Comprehensive Stress Assessor and Sub-Classifier (SQC-SAS), is worn on the wrist and tracks both molecular stress biomarkers and physiological indicators.
According to a study published in Nature Communications, SQC-SAS collects data through an integrated panel that combines a patch for heart rate and skin conductance with another patch that detects sweat cortisol levels. The device includes electronics for wireless signal acquisition and recording. This approach allows for simultaneous tracking of different signals related to stress.
“Stress is not a single signal; it’s a dynamic physiological and biochemical response,” said Rahim Esfandyar-pour, UC Irvine assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science and biomedical engineering. “By measuring both molecular biomarkers and physiological signals at the same time, we can reduce ambiguity and move toward stress monitoring that’s more specific, objective and informative.”
Unlike other wearables that focus on only one type of indicator, SQC-SAS gathers multiple synchronized inputs. To interpret these biosignals into useful information, the research team developed an artificial intelligence model they describe as highly accurate.
Esfandyar-pour explained challenges with current methods: “Measurements of stress obtained by electrocardiograms or through galvanic skin response and skin temperature lack specificity, often producing false-positive or false-negative results due to confounding factors such as physical activity, diet, environmental conditions or circadian rhythms. Our wireless, batteryfree and automated SQC-SAS … is designed to be worn and measures both physiological and molecular signals, so the results paint a much more accurate picture of the stress people are encountering.”
He added: “We developed this stress-monitoring wearable bioelectronic to be as user-friendly and noninvasive as possible. People wearing it will hardly notice it’s there, while it continuously and objectively captures their stress profile.”
The researchers say that SQC-SAS addresses a gap in healthcare during a period when many people face significant levels of undiagnosed or untreated stress. Esfandyar-pour noted recent findings showing that 52 percent of Americans—and 60 percent across 34 countries—reported experiencing overwhelming stress at least once in the past year. Chronic stress has been linked to anxiety disorders, depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, among other health concerns.
The project was led by Esfandyar-pour with support from Ph.D. students Xiaochang Pei, Anita Ghandehari, Shingirirai Chakoma; postdoctoral scholar Jerome Rajendran; and Ph.D. student Jorge Alfonso Tavares-Negrete from biomedical engineering. Funding came from UC Irvine’s Samueli School of Engineering.
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