Could a blood test diagnose mental illnesses?
Australian scientists have developed the world’s first blood test that can accurately predict whether people have mood disorders.
Following research into specific levels of a brain protein, researchers from the University of South Australia have developed a kit that can distinguish between three brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) proteins with precision.
A link between mature BDNF (mBDNF) proteins and depression has been well-documented for some time, but it hasn’t been until now that the three forms of proteins could be distinguished in blood samples.
Researchers say strong evidence suggests that psychological stress decreases mBDNF and that depression is caused by a lack of the protein.
A study conducted with 215 people in China, including 90 patients with clinical depression and 15 with bipolar disorder, found clear links between low levels of the protein in blood and severe depression.
The study also found that the severity of a person’s depression correlated with a lower mBDNF level.
Patients on antidepressants were also found to have higher levels of the protein than those who weren’t taking them.
UniSA Professor Xin-Fu Zhou said existing commercial kits aren’t specific, while the one developed by the university had an accuracy of 80 to 83 percent.
“As mBDNF and (another of the three proteins) proBDNF have different biological activities, working in opposition to each other, it is essential that we distinguish between these two proteins and detect changes in their levels,” he said.
The researchers believe mBDNF levels could be used to diagnose depression and bipolar disorder.