Biomarkers are biochemical and biophysical markers of disease that may be measured and quantified, allowing physicians to provide reliable diagnostic and prognosis evaluations. The discipline of psychiatry often lacks readily available evidence relating to biomarkers within the brain, as it is difficult to do an investigative study on or collect samples from living brains.

Finding adequate bio-markers for mental diseases is one of the most important goals of psychiatric research.

There are many different types of biomarkers utilized in clinical practice today, including diagnostic, monitoring, pharmacodynamic/response, predictive, prognostic, and susceptibility/risk biomarkers.

Physiological biomarkers of biological functions (for example, blood pressure and heart rate); and peripheral biomarkers of behavioural indications and symptoms (e.g. sleep patterns and changes in physical activity).

While biomarkers have been used successfully in research, assessment, and diagnosis in various medical domains, their use in psychiatry has been restricted.

However, progress has been achieved, particularly in the areas of depression, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and schizophrenia.

Identifying depression biomarkers could change psychiatry and result in more tailored interventions that will promote better patient outcomes and prognoses.

There are now multiple recognized biomarkers utilized in the treatment of depression.

• Inflammatory biomarkers

• Protein biomarkers

• Electrophysiological biomarkers

• Altered DNA Methylation

Because of the variability in the clinical presentation of psychiatric diseases, the development and utilization of biomarkers are becoming increasingly important for accurate patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Indeed, identifying the characteristics that predict treatment success will eliminate undesired trial-and-error medication switching and enable the discovery of novel, more effective medicines, paving the way for more personalized medicine.

 

 

Role of Digital Biomarkers in Psychiatry

Symptoms of psychiatric diseases can vary greatly, both amongst patients with the same diagnosis and on a day-to-day basis for the same patient. Digital health technology provides continuous symptom tracking and better capture the ever-changing experience of psychiatric patients. As a result, they may uncover previously unknown symptoms within specific illnesses or aid in the identification of those with underlying disorders.

Furthermore, if any digital biomarker-identified patient symptoms can be linked to environmental elements or the situation that triggered the psychiatric symptom, they may provide greater insight into disease triggers and possibly inform future diagnosis and therapy.

For example, Habelt et al. (2021) implanted 3D-printed devices with a fluidic channel and several electrodes in rats to operate as a neuroprosthetic interface, allowing the recording of electrical impulses in the brain and the detection of digital psychiatric indicators.

A person's social media or general online activity might be tracked as a passive digital biomarker, with machine learning algorithms looking for signals of depression or other psychiatric disorders.

 

 

 

 

References

Kluwer. (2019). The Role of Biomarkers in Psychiatry. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 135-162.

Michael Greenwood, M. (n.d.). The Role of Digital Biomarkers in Psychiatry. Retrieved from News Medical Life Sciences: https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Role-of-Digital-Biomarkers-in-Psychiatry.aspx

Nicola Davies, P. (2020, November 5). Advances in Psychiatry Biomarkers. Retrieved from Psychiatry Advisor: https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/general-psychiatry/advances-in-psychiatry-biomarkers

 

 

 

 

 

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