CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — A new study suggests that a simple blood test can significantly aid in diagnosing bipolar disorder. Developed by researchers at Cambridge University, this innovative approach enhances the accuracy of diagnosing the mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings.
To diagnose bipolar disorder — often misidentified as major depressive disorder — the research team combined an online psychiatric assessment with a blood test. The results indicate that the blood test alone could accurately diagnose up to 30 percent of bipolar disorder patients. However, its effectiveness improves substantially when combined with a digital mental health assessment.
Incorporating biomarker testing into the diagnostic process enables physicians to distinguish between major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. These two conditions share symptoms but necessitate distinct pharmacological treatments. While the blood test is currently a proof of concept, the researchers believe it could significantly augment existing psychiatric diagnostic tools and enhance our comprehension of the biological underpinnings of mental health conditions.
Bipolar disorder affects approximately one percent of the global population, translating to as many as 80 million individuals. Unfortunately, the condition is misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder in nearly 40 percent of cases, a misstep that this study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, seeks to rectify.
“People with bipolar disorder will experience periods of low mood and periods of very high mood or mania,” says first author Dr. Jakub Tomasik, from Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, in a media release. “But patients will often only see a doctor when they’re experiencing low mood, which is why bipolar disorder frequently gets misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder.”
“When someone with bipolar disorder is experiencing a period of low mood, to a physician, it can look very similar to someone with major depressive disorder,” adds Professor Sabine Bahn, who led the research. “However, the two conditions need to be treated differently: if someone with bipolar disorder is prescribed antidepressants without the addition of a mood stabilizer, it can trigger a manic episode.”
Bahn advocates for comprehensive psychiatric assessments for accurate bipolar disorder diagnoses, despite their associated long waiting times and extensive durations.
“Psychiatric assessments are highly effective, but the ability to diagnose bipolar disorder with a simple blood test could ensure that patients get the right treatment the first time and alleviate some of the pressures on medical professionals,” Tomasik says.
The research utilized samples and data from the UK’s Delta study, conducted between 2018 and 2020, focusing on patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder in the past five years and currently exhibiting depressive symptoms. Over 3,000 participants were involved, each completing an extensive online mental health assessment comprising over 600 questions spanning various topics pertinent to mental health disorders.
Approximately 1,000 participants proceeded to submit dried blood samples using a simple finger prick, analyzed by the researchers for over 600 different metabolites. The final study sample included 241 participants. The analysis revealed a significant biomarker signal for bipolar disorder, persisting even after accounting for potential confounding factors such as medication.
The biomarkers primarily correlated with lifetime manic symptoms. Ultimately, the study concluded that combining patient-reported information with the biomarker test “significantly improved” diagnostic outcomes for bipolar disorder, particularly in ambiguous cases.
“The online assessment was more effective overall, but the biomarker test performs well and is much faster,” Bahn explains. “A combination of both approaches would be ideal, as they’re complementary.”
“We found that some patients preferred the biomarker test, because it was an objective result that they could see,” Tomasik reports. “Mental illness has a biological basis, and it’s important for patients to know it’s not in their mind. It’s an illness that affects the body like any other.”
“In addition to the diagnostic capabilities of biomarkers, they could also be used to identify potential drug targets for mood disorders, which could lead to better treatments,” Bahn concludes. “It’s an exciting time to be in this area of research.”
A patent has been filed on the research by Cambridge Enterprise, the University’s commercialization arm.
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South West News Service writer Stephen Beech contributed to this report.
