Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine created a blood test for anxiety.
The new test examines biomarkers that can help objectively determine someone’s risk for developing anxiety, the severity of their current anxiety, and which therapies would treat their anxiety best.
The test has been validated by researchers and is being developed for wider use by physicians through MindX Sciences.
The current method of identifying anxiety involves asking people how they feel. However, some medications can be addictive and create more problems.
The team says the new approach aims to identify blood biomarkers that could help match people to existing medications that work better and are not addictive.
The study included three independent groups: discovery, validation, and testing. Participants had to take a blood test every 3-6 months or whenever a new psychiatric hospitalization occurred.
By examining the RNA biomarkers in the blood, researchers could identify a patient’s current state of anxiety and match them with medications that were most effective.
The team says the test could evaluate a person’s risk of developing higher levels of anxiety in the future and how other factors like hormonal changes might impact their anxiety.
The team’s previous research led to blood tests for pain, depression/bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The new test could be used in combination with these tests to provide a more comprehensive view of a patient’s mental health and risk of future mental health concerns.
The team hopes that the new test can provide a comprehensive report for patients and their physicians using just one tube of blood as part of their regular wellness visits to evaluate their mental health over time and prevent any future distress.
They believe that prevention is better in the long run and that the goal is to help people earlier with something that matches their health conditions.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about vegetarianism linked to higher risk of depression, and Vitamin D could help reduce depression symptoms.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies about common medications for anxiety, and results showing two in five adults with ADHD have excellent mental health.
The study was conducted by Professor of psychiatry Alexander Niculescu et al and published in Molecular Psychiatry.
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