Health & Medicine
Scientists May Test for Depression Through Your Blood
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Apr 29, 2014 12:43 PM EDT
Depression is a serious condition, and can impact a person's life in multiple ways. Now, though, scientists have found a new way to possibly detect depression--through a person's blood.
When it comes to detecting depression, it's all about proteins and chemicals. Serotonin transporter (SERT) is a protein in the cell membrane the helps transport the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is popularly known as the "happiness hormone," into the cell. In the brain, SERT regulates neural depression networks; a lack of serotonin can actually cause depressive conditions.
The SERT doesn't only occur in the brain, though; it also occurs in large quantities in numerous other organs, including in the blood. It's possible that by taking blood samples and testing for SERT, scientists could detect whether or not a person is at risk for depression.
The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to reveal that there is a close relationship between the speed of the serotonin uptake in blood platlets and the function of a depression network in the brain. The network, called the default mode network, is primarily active at rest and processes content with strong self-reference.
"This is the first study that has been able to predict the activity of a major depression network in the brain using a blood test," said Lukas Pezawas, one of the researchers, in a news release. "While blood tests for mental illnesses have until recently been regarded as impossible, this study clearly shows that a blood test is possible in principle for diagnosing depression and could become a reality in the not too distant future."
The findings reveal a new way to examine depression. This, in turn, could pave the way for future studies, and help those suffering from depression.
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
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First Posted: Apr 29, 2014 12:43 PM EDT
Depression is a serious condition, and can impact a person's life in multiple ways. Now, though, scientists have found a new way to possibly detect depression--through a person's blood.
When it comes to detecting depression, it's all about proteins and chemicals. Serotonin transporter (SERT) is a protein in the cell membrane the helps transport the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is popularly known as the "happiness hormone," into the cell. In the brain, SERT regulates neural depression networks; a lack of serotonin can actually cause depressive conditions.
The SERT doesn't only occur in the brain, though; it also occurs in large quantities in numerous other organs, including in the blood. It's possible that by taking blood samples and testing for SERT, scientists could detect whether or not a person is at risk for depression.
The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to reveal that there is a close relationship between the speed of the serotonin uptake in blood platlets and the function of a depression network in the brain. The network, called the default mode network, is primarily active at rest and processes content with strong self-reference.
"This is the first study that has been able to predict the activity of a major depression network in the brain using a blood test," said Lukas Pezawas, one of the researchers, in a news release. "While blood tests for mental illnesses have until recently been regarded as impossible, this study clearly shows that a blood test is possible in principle for diagnosing depression and could become a reality in the not too distant future."
The findings reveal a new way to examine depression. This, in turn, could pave the way for future studies, and help those suffering from depression.
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone