Researchers Find That a Blood Test Can Help Diagnose Mood Disorders

December 2, 2021 by Alexa Hornbeck
Researchers Find That a Blood Test Can Help Diagnose Mood Disorders

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine completed a recent study on how blood biomarkers can help diagnose and treat mood disorders.

“The tests are now being made available to interested doctors through a company I co-founded, called MindX Sciences,” said psychiatrist, geneticist and lead researcher Dr. Alexander Niculescu, in an email to The Well News.

Mood disorders like bipolar or depression disorder affect up to one in four individuals in their lifetime, with depression being the leading cause of disability for ages 15-44.

The study finds that due to a lack of objective tests and perceived stigma, mood disorders are often under diagnosed or misdiagnosed, which can lead to individuals self-medicating with alcohol, drugs or suicide. 

Previous studies tracking suicidality, pain and post-traumatic stress disorder showed that blood biomarkers could be used to better diagnose and understand an individual’s mood state. 

The recent findings go a step further in establishing how blood biomarkers also can help predict a clinical course, such as matching patients to medications and measuring the response to treatment. 

To conduct the four-year long clinical trial, researchers recruited 300 participants from the Indianapolis VA Medical Center into three cohorts focused on discovery, validation and testing. 

“We compared with the hundreds of people with mood disorders we have studied in the past and their levels of biomarkers. We also followed people longitudinally, so we were able to discover and validate which biomarkers predicted future outcomes,” said Niculescu.

Participants underwent initial testing in a lab or inpatient psychiatric unit, followed by six testing visits three-six months apart or whenever a new psychiatric hospitalization occurred. 

All participants received psychiatric rating scales and their blood was drawn at each visit. Blood was examined across 26 top candidate blood gene expression biomarkers, including examination of circadian mechanisms, cell differentiation functions or serotonergic signaling. 

“There was a careful process to identify, validate and select the best predictive biomarkers. One surprising finding was that the serotonin transporter, the target of Prozac and other antidepressants, was one of our top blood biomarkers,” said Niculescu.

The research team also analyzed the potential for new drug discovery and repurposing, and according Niculescu there might be an opportunity to use the work to foster collaborations between pharmaceutical companies and physicians to better guide treatment for mood disorders.

Alexa can be reached at [email protected] 

A+
a-
  • mental health
  • Research
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Mental Health

    March 26, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    White House Holds Roundtable on Black Men’s Mental Health

    WASHINGTON — The White House Office of Public Engagement last week convened a roundtable on the administration’s efforts to support... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The White House Office of Public Engagement last week convened a roundtable on the administration’s efforts to support Black men’s mental health. The event was moderated by Charisse Jones of USA Today, and featured actors Courtney B. Vance and Lamman Rucker; recording artist Raheem... Read More

    March 26, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    NYC to Invest $8M in ‘Substance Use’ Clinic for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

    NEW YORK — The city of New York announced Tuesday that it is investing $8 million in a new health... Read More

    NEW YORK — The city of New York announced Tuesday that it is investing $8 million in a new health and substance use disorder clinic specifically to provide care to pregnant and postpartum women and their families. Mayor Eric Adams and officials from NYC Health +... Read More

    March 25, 2024
    by Jesse Zucker
    What Happens During Burnout and How to Cope

    WASHINGTON — Many of us, from time to time, may feel a little “burned out.” Spreading ourselves too thin with... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Many of us, from time to time, may feel a little “burned out.” Spreading ourselves too thin with work, family, relationships, health and other obligations can take its toll. The term burnout is technically a psychological condition related to the workplace. Since COVID-19 began,... Read More

    March 13, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Researchers Identify Brain Connections Associated with ADHD

    WASHINGTON — After examining more than 8,000 functional brain images of young people with ADHD, researchers have discovered their systems... Read More

    WASHINGTON — After examining more than 8,000 functional brain images of young people with ADHD, researchers have discovered their systems are tied to atypical interactions between the brain’s frontal cortex and the information processing centers deep inside the brain. The research into attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was conducted... Read More

    March 12, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Report Underscores Impact of Pets on Sense of Community, Well-Being

    WASHINGTON — Nine in 10 pet owners say their pets contribute to their having a stronger sense of community, while... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Nine in 10 pet owners say their pets contribute to their having a stronger sense of community, while 83% of adults say they’ve interacted with people they otherwise would not have due to their pets, according to a new survey. The study by Mars... Read More

    How Springing Forward to Daylight Saving Time Could Affect Your Health — and How to Prepare

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Most of America “springs forward” Sunday for daylight saving time and losing that hour of sleep can do more... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Most of America “springs forward” Sunday for daylight saving time and losing that hour of sleep can do more than leave you tired and cranky the next day. It also could harm your health. Darker mornings and more evening light together knock your body clock... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top