Blood test may distinguish psychiatric disorders
A blood test could help distinguish between psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and depression, a new study finds.
Why it matters
- Objective diagnostic tools for psychiatric disorders are lacking, leading to misdiagnosis.
- Blood lipid profiling could provide a new method for differentiation.
By the numbers
- 416 patients and 272 healthy controls were studied.
- 144 lipids showed significant changes.
- The model distinguished SCZ from MDD with an ROC AUC of 0.83.
The big picture
- This could lead to better diagnostic tools for psychiatric disorders.
- More research is needed to understand the impact of medications on lipid levels.
What they're saying
- Concerns about medication effects on lipid levels.
- Skepticism due to the study's origin and publication in an MDPI journal.
Caveats
- Medications could confound results.
- The study is from Russia, and there are concerns about its context and trustworthiness.
What’s next
- More research to validate findings and understand medication effects.