Date of Defense
11-11-2025
Date of Graduation
12-2025
Department
Chemistry
First Advisor
Prentiss Jones
Second Advisor
John Spitsbergen
Keywords
benzodiazepines, postmortem, blood, vitreous fluid, ELISA, LC-MS/MS
Abstract
Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed secondary drugs of abuse that cause Central Nervous System depression through the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid. While not commonly fatal on their own, benzodiazepines have a minor risk for physical dependence and abuse. They also can have cumulative effects with other medications that can lead to overdose situations; thus, they are considered secondary drugs of abuse. While peripheral blood is considered the standard for xenobiotic detection in postmortem forensic toxicology, it is important to consider the validity of alternative matrices that could be analyzed in the event that blood was not available due to circumstances like exsanguination or decomposition. This study’s aim was to evaluate vitreous humor as an alternative matrix for the postmortem detection of both classical and novel benzodiazepines. We also evaluated the Neogen Benzodiazepine Group Forensic ELISA kit as a method for detection of benzodiazepines in vitreous fluid. A threefold analysis of 132 vitreous humor samples was performed using the Randox Drugs of Abuse Ultra Whole Blood Array, the Neogen Benzodiazepine Group Forensic ELISA kit, and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Ultimately, 81.5% of the 81 vitreous humor samples tested with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry indicated partial or total agreement with the benzodiazepines identified in the corresponding blood samples. However, the Cohen’s κ score for agreement was only 0.188, which implies only slight agreement between the two matrices. This result indicates that while vitreous humor is a valid matrix for the postmortem detection of benzodiazepines, it may be best analyzed in conjunction with other alternative matrices and the medical history for a decedent. The Neogen Benzodiazepine Group Forensic ELISA kit was determined to be effective for the detection of benzodiazepines in vitreous humor, as well. These findings may be helpful for postmortem toxicology laboratories looking to identify benzodiazepines in samples using limited resources and sample types.
Recommended Citation
Bussey, Sara, "Postmortem Vitreous Humor as an Alternative Matrix to Peripheral Blood for Benzodiazepine Detection" (2025). Honors Theses. 3981.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3981
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Open Access
Presentation