Table 1. Performance Comparison of Existing State-of-the-Art Cortisol Aptasensors.

method	probe	surface	test matrix	DR (nM)	LOD (nM)
colorimetric aggregation of AuNP37	aptamer	AuNP	serum	150–600	29.5
electrochemistry (amperometry) triamcinolone competitive assay38	aptamer	graphene-modified glassy carbon electrode	saliva and serum	0.1–32 000	0.032
aptamer-based lateral flow assay40	aptamer–AuNP	cysteamine/nitrocellulose	sweat	32–327	2.7
aptamer-based lateral flow assay13	aptamer–AuNP	nitrocellulose	diluted saliva	0.41–41	1.01
copper porphyrin-printed electrode41	aptamer–magnetic particle	multiwalled carbon nanotubes/copper/porphyrin	saliva	1.6–65.0	1.0
CNT–nanogap FET39	aptamer	multiwalled carbon nanotube	serum (10× diluted)	0.1–2000	50
surface plasmon resonance (SPR)42	aptamer	gold/titanium layer over glass	sweat	82–16 500	32
electrochemistry (EIS)43	aptamer	mercaptohexanol over gold electrode	sweat	5–30	5
electrochemistry (DPV) antibody–AuNP prelabeled cortisol58	aptamer–antibody with AuNP	MWCNTs/CMK-3/AgNP/AuNP	saliva (10× diluted)	0.00002–276	3 × 10–7
electrochemistry (DPV) (this work)	structure-switching aptamer–MB	AuNW/BSA/GA over gold electrode	serum	1–1000	0.68