A Triple-Channel Fluorescent Sensor Array Based on Carbon Dots for Simultaneous Discrimination and Detection of Antiseizure Medications and Psychotropic Drugs in the Treatment of Epilepsy Comorbidities

Globally, over 30% of patients with epilepsy (PWE) suffer from psychiatric comorbidities. The concurrent use of antiepileptic medications and psychotropic drugs in their treatment presents certain risks, such as potential adverse drug reactions or a reduction in therapeutic efficacy. However, most existing approaches are confined to single-drug analysis and lack the capability for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of multiple drugs. Hereon, a triple-channel array was fabricated using carbon dots (TS-CDs), with the assistance of Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺, for simultaneously distinguishing six drugs, including two antiseizure medications and four psychotropic drugs. Notably, assisted by appropriate statistical analysis methods, the sensor array correctly identified all blind samples and achieved quantitative detection of all six drugs in human serum samples. This research establishes a promising approach for therapeutic drug monitoring in patients with comorbidities requiring polypharmacy.