A straightforward blood test is used by researchers to find biomarkers linked to bipolar disorder, which is a novel approach to improve diagnosis. The University of Cambridge researchers diagnosed patients with bipolar disorder, many of whom had been mistakenly diagnosed with major depressive disorder, using a combination of a blood test and an online psychiatric assessment. Up to 30% of patients with bipolar disorder may be diagnosed by blood test alone, according to the researchers, but the test is even more successful when paired with a digital mental health evaluation.
Incorporating biomarker testing could help physicians differentiate between major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, which have overlapping symptoms but require different pharmacological treatments.
Although the blood test is still a proof of concept, the researchers say it could be an effective complement to existing psychiatric diagnosis and could help researchers understand the biological origins of mental health conditions. The results are reported in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Bipolar disorder affects approximately one per cent of the population – as many as 80 million people worldwide – but for nearly 40 per cent of patients, it is misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder.