from Northwestern Medicine
Major depression affects nearly seven percent of adult Americans and the search for a biologically-based diagnostic test has been going on for decades. The current method of diagnosing depression is subjective and based on non-specific symptoms, such as poor mood, fatigue and change in appetite. However, now researchers at Northwestern University have announced the first blood test to diagnose major depression in adults. The test measures nine genetic markers in blood and may also indicate a vulnerability to depression, even after patients are successfully treated. The new test also predicts who will benefit from behavioral therapy as well as the success of the therapy. Professor Eva Redei says the test brings mental health diagnosis into the 21st century. She now wants to see if the blood test can differentiate between major depression and bipolar depression.