Current advances in the detection of neurotransmitters by nanomaterials: An update

Neurotransmitters (NTs) are chemical messengers in the synaptic transmission process. NTs play important roles in human activities, and imbalanced NTs levels in the body lead to severe diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The accurate diagnosis of NTs imbalances has been identified only after patient death through identifying plaques in the brain. Hence, the diagnosis and monitoring of NTs concentrations is important for avoiding serious illnesses. Many researchers have explored the use of robust diagnostic tools with various nanomaterials and techniques. Herein, we investigated the mechanism of reactions between NTs and nanomaterials, the role of nanomaterials in diagnostic tools and the different techniques used in the accurate detection of NTs. Furthermore, we discussed the simultaneous detection of NTs in a single sensing channel, detection in biological samples and future perspectives for nanomaterials in NTs detection. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.