Blood Test May Help Diagnose and Treat Depression
Researchers say they have developed a blood test that can help doctors diagnose and treat depression and bipolar disorder.
About 280 million people around the world suffer from depression, while about 45 million have bipolar disorder, according to the World Health Organization. However, according to the research team at the Indiana University School of Medicine, doctors don't currently use any objective measures to diagnose such mood disorders, and the treatments are not effective for everyone.
The new blood test uses biomarkers in the blood to measure how depressed someone is, as well as their risk of having to go to the hospital due to a mood disorder in the future. According to the researchers, the test can also help doctors find the right medication for patients.
The researchers developed the blood test using a study done over four years. The study used data from over 300 participants who were observed in both high and low mood states and had their blood biomarkers recorded.
Biomarkers are signs used to measure the body's health. In this case, researchers were looking for evidence that certain genes were active.
Using data from previous studies, the researchers compared the participants' biomarkers with a list of 26 that were also found in groups of people with severe depression or mania — a symptom of bipolar disorder in which the person experiences very high energy and may feel hyperactive.
The researchers also did further analysis to determine how effectively these biomarkers showed who was ill and who was likely to become so ill they'd need to go to the hospital.
Blood biomarkers are already used to diagnose diseases such as cancer, but they are not commonly used for mental health. However, lead researcher Alexander B. Niculescu said that blood biomarkers are becoming important tools for disorders where a patient's subjective self-reports — or even a health care professional's observations — are not always reliable.
"These blood tests can open the door to precise, personalized matching with medications, and objective monitoring of response to treatment," said Niculescu.
