Team:Queens Canada/Market

Market Direction Analysis


Use by parents to monitor child’s stress levels and general well-being

Pros
  • Can remove any communication barriers between parent and child
  • Ability to measure Δ cortisol could be useful in evaluating changes over time
  • Useful in the early detection of illness and prevention of Sudden Infan tDeath Syndrome (SIDS)
Cons
  • Continual monitoring may lead to more anxiety in parents
  • Expensive technology
  • Difficulties in establishing abbaseline
  • Knowing the information does not have a substantial effect; minimal chance for intervention



Used as a dignostic test in clinical settings

Pros
  • Non-invasive procedure
  • Instant results could facilitate faster diagnosis leading to earlier intervention plans
  • Could help reduce extensive wait times in clinics or Emergency Room (ER)
  • Little training required to operate, would reduce the need for highly trained personnel
Cons
  • Concerns about biomarkers in saliva being as accurate as plasma samples
  • Sensitivity and specificity must be very high for proper diagnosis



Use in monitoring treatment in clinical settings

Pros
  • Non-invasive method Instant and ongoingsurveillance
  • Could be used to evaluate metabolism of hormone
  • Help to determine personalised treatment plan and dosage
  • Could be useful in determining effectiveness of a treatment
Cons
  • Concerns about biomarkers in saliva being as accurate as plasma samples
  • Expensive to replace cartridges



Pros
  • Could replace disruptive method of salivary collection
  • Could reveal critical information missed in current studies
  • Easier to complete studies with young children and infants
Cons
  • Would need different designs that don’t interrupt the studies and are less noticeable
  • Would need different designs to use in studies with people of all ages
  • Must be incredibly sensitive and specific for the desired biomarker