Advanced electrochemical detection methodologies for assessing neuroactive substance variability induced by environmental pollutants exposure

Exposure to environmental pollutants can induce subtle yet nontrivial dynamic changes of neuroactive substances in the brain through different signaling pathways, which are important pathological bases for the development of neurological dysfunction and disease. In view of this, it is necessary to detect neuroactive substances variability induced by environmental pollutants, and thus to reveal the close connection with neuropathology. Compared with traditional detection methods, electrochemical detection has advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution, which can achieve highly selective detection of various neuroactive substances. Current studies mainly focus on the exposure pathways of pollutants or their mechanisms inducing neurological diseases. There are few studies exploring electrochemical technology to detect the changes of neuroactive substances caused by environmental pollutants. Herein, this work provides a comprehensive review of the progress of electrochemical analysis for monitoring neuroactive substance changes due to environmental pollutants, especially emphasizing the major exposure pathways via lung-brain or gut-brain axes. After that, the representative mechanism leading to neurological diseases and corresponding electrochemical detection examples are discussed separately, followed by assistive technologies such as optogenetics, microfluidics and machine learning. The challenges and future research prospects are also put forward, aiming to promote the in-depth development of electrochemical detection in the field of neurological disease. Advanced electrochemical detection methodologies enable highly selective analysis of dynamic changes in neuroactive substance levels due to environmental pollutant exposure. • The research progress of electrochemical detection for monitoring neuroactive substances changes induced by environmental pollutants is firstly systematically summarized. • The major exposure pathways and representative mechanisms leading to neurological diseases are discussed separately. • The integration of emerging technologies such as optogenetics, microfluidic chips, and machine learning with electrochemical detection is discussed, aiming to achieve detection of a variety of neuroactive substances.