MONASH University's newly developed blood test boasts a 99.2% accuracy in detecting whether someone has been awake for 18 to 24 hours.
Detailed in Science Advances, the research employs a unique biomarker that utilises a combination of indicators present in blood samples.
These indicators were able to reliably identify sleep deprivation in healthy volunteers under strict laboratory conditions.
With sleep-related fatigue being a contributing factor in approximately 20% of road accidents in Australia, this test has the potential to change how authorities and employers assess fatigue, and enhance safety measures across various sectors, including for shift workers.
Prof Clare Anderson, formerly of Monash University and now at the University of Birmingham, who led the research, highlighted the test's potential in improving the management of health and safety risks associated with insufficient sleep.
She drew attention to the dangers of driving after 24 hours without sleep, which could impair driving ability as significantly as having a blood alcohol concentration double Australia's legal limit.
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