Researchers Say New Blood Test Able to Detect Depression in Patients
United States researchers say there is a new blood test that is able to analyze levels of biomarkers to accurately diagnose patients with depression and the nine biomarkers used help distinguish them from other patients.
According to a recent health news article, lead author of the study and doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, George Papakostas said past efforts to develop tests for this purpose were not sufficient for the results needed. These past tests were done on a single blood or a urinary biomarker and did not carry adequate sensitivity. Sponsor of the recent study, John Bilello with Ridge Diagnostics, stated that the biology surrounding depression indicates there is an extremely complex set of interactions that exist between biomarkers in peripheral circulation and the brain.
Ridge Diagnostics developed the test which measures the levels in nine biomarkers relating to factors like inflammation, interaction between structures of the brain that are involved in the stress response or other chief functions, and the development and maintenance among neurons. These measurements are then combined by using a precise formula to produce a number called the MDDScore. This is a number that ranges from 1 to 100 and indicates the percentage of the likelihood with which an individual has depression and how severe it is. The clinical use of the MDDScore would only range from numbers 1 through 10. Bilello did say it is often difficult to persuade patients that they need treatment especially with the type of questionnaire that is now used to score their symptoms.
Bilello says they expect the biological basis of the test might provide patients with enough insight about their depression that they see it as treatable rather than a stigma or means of self-doubt.
