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In addition to a breathalyzer test, a fatigue test could also be used during traffic stops in the future. (Stock image)
Keystone
Researchers at the University of Zurich have identified biomarkers in saliva that detect acute sleep deprivation. In the long term, this could lead to a rapid test for drivers or accident investigations.
A new saliva test could detect drowsiness at the wheel in the future. Researchers at the University of Zurich have found a kind of metabolic fingerprint in saliva that reliably indicates whether someone is suffering from acute sleep deprivation.
The method could improve road safety and safety in certain professions in the future, as the university announced on Friday. The researchers see potential for forensic applications, such as in the investigation of accidents.
Thomas Krämer from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at UZH described the study, which was published in the journal “Journal of Proteome Research,” as a “milestone for forensic research.”
Twenty young men served as test subjects. Their saliva was analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry after a sleepless night, after four nights with only six hours of sleep, and after a normal eight-hour night. Using machine learning, the researchers searched for molecular patterns indicating acute sleep deprivation.
The analysis revealed that severe fatigue affects about ten percent of all biomolecules in saliva. “The challenge was to filter out, from tens of thousands of molecules, precisely those that reliably indicate fatigue,” explained lead author Michael Scholz. The team succeeded in identifying ten specific biomarkers.
The long-term goal is to develop a rapid test that can be used on-site. However, the researchers emphasize that this is a basic research study. Before the method can be applied in practice, further tests with larger and more diverse groups of people are necessary.
12.06.2026, 09:09
12.06.2026, 09:55
