That is the title of this article I reviewed today. "'TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- It's often difficult for doctors to tell the difference between depression and schizophrenia, especially early on. Now, researchers say they're on the trail of a blood test that might be able to do just that.
'This is the first objective, physiological marker for two major psychiatric disorders that, once fully developed into a clinical test, can allow for earlier and more accurate diagnosis, and selection of more appropriate medications for patients,' study co-author Dr. Handan Gunduz-Bruce said in a news release from The Physiological Society. Gunduz-Bruce is a schizophrenia researcher at the Yale School of Medicine. One psychiatrist agreed that such a test is needed. "It can be very difficult to diagnose depression and schizophrenia, especially when they onset in the adolescent years," said Dr. Scott Krakower, assistant chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y.
'Symptoms may not be as clear and the patient may not exhibit all symptoms of the disease,' Krakower added. He believes an early diagnostic test 'may help us one day quickly diagnose complex cases and offer earlier intervention for our patients.' According to the Yale team, animal research had already shown that the release of a hormone called arginine-vasopressin (AVP) relies on a cellular process known as NMDA receptor signaling.'" This would be welcome news. When I first had my breakdown in prison in 1987 they sent me to a psychiatrist at first he was going to diagnosis me with a mental illness then he changed his mind and put me on Halcyon a sleeping medicine that helped a little but underneath I still had the mental illness but did not know what was wrong with me. The counselor there was not ever going to release me on parole because she said I was a danger to society. That at the time I did not understand and just ignored her because I was going to get out on appeal once it came through.
The article continues: "NMDA is a brain cell receptor for glutamate -- a chemical that delivers messages between brain cells and may play a role in depression. NMDA receptor signaling appears to be increased in people with depression but reduced in those with schizophrenia, the study authors explained. For the study, the research team gave volunteers a highly concentrated salt solution. This solution is designed to trigger the release of AVP. The researchers then tested each patients' blood for AVP. The researchers found that AVP release among those with depression was different from those with schizophrenia. Depressed patients had a greater release of the hormone, while people with schizophrenia had a decreased production. According to the researchers, the findings could lead to a test that might help identify certain forms of depression and schizophrenia." Yes because if they would have diagnosis me in the first place I might have never went to the state hospital. Although if I did not go there I do not know if I would have succeed as I have.
The article ends: "'Since the two conditions often have vague and mild symptoms early on, such a test might enable patients to be diagnosed sooner and receive more appropriate treatment, the researchers said. Still, that day may be a long way off -- the researchers said they haven't yet developed a test that could be used outside of their lab. Dr. Ami Baxi directs inpatient psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She agreed with Krakower that 'although this method will not capture everybody with depression or schizophrenia, it is a step towards earlier and more accurate diagnosis with potential for targeted treatment options.'" It cannot come soon enough so people can recover and get on and lead productive lives.
Showing posts with label Blood Test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blood Test. Show all posts
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Blood Test Helps Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
That is the title of this article I am reviewing today. "'Investigators have developed a blood test that could help doctors more quickly diagnose schizophrenia and other disorders. Researchers from the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) and Baltimore (UMB) campuses believe the new technique will help clinicians and improve patient outcomes. 'We hope our new technique will allow a more rapid detection and intervention for schizophrenia, and ultimately lead to better outcomes,' said Gregory Payne, one of the authors. The study, 'Redox Probing for Chemical Information of Oxidative Stress,' was recently published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.'" If they can diagnosis it quicker the better for people because it is easier to treat if they know sooner. If they can make people not have to go through not understanding why they have this disease and not suffer through multiple episodes.
The article goes on to say. "Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder that affects approximately one percent of the U.S. adult population and influences how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The onset of symptoms usually begins between ages 16 and 30. Symptoms can range from visual and auditory hallucinations and movement disorders to difficulty beginning and sustaining activities. Currently, diagnosing schizophrenia and similar disorders requires a thorough psychological evaluation and a comprehensive medical exam to rule out other conditions.
A patient may be evaluated for six or more months before receiving a diagnosis and beginning treatment, particularly if he or she shows only early signs of the disorder. Recent studies have indicated that patient outcomes could be improved if the time elapsed between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of treatment is much shorter. For this reason, researchers believe a chemical test that could detect oxidative stress in the blood — a state commonly linked with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders — could be invaluable in helping to diagnose schizophrenia more quickly." The sooner the diagnosis the sooner you can be treated that sound better than waiting six months to get treated. I know if the doctor would have told me I had a mental illness I would not have had another breakdown. Instead he told me it just was me not sleeping and put me on a sleep med.
The article ends. "'he UMD and UMB team, led by research associate Eunkyoung Kim, used a discovery-driven approach based on the assumptions that chemical biomarkers relating to oxidative stress could be found in blood, and that they could be measured by common electrochemical instruments. Building on an understanding of how foods are tested for antioxidants, an iridium salt was used to probe blood serum samples for detectable optical and electrochemical signals that indicate oxidative stress in the body. The promising initial tests have shown various biological reductants can be detected, including glutathione, the most prominent antioxidant in the body.
The group worked with professor of psychiatry Deanna Kelly and her team at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, to perform an initial clinical evaluation. Investigators used serum samples from 10 clinical research study participants who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and a healthy control group. Using the new testing method, the research group was able to correctly differentiate the samples of those who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia from those who had no history of the disorder. 'Much emerging data suggests that schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders may be due, in part, to inflammation and oxidative stress abnormalities, 'Kelly said. 'Current methods for measuring these potential biomarkers are not standardized and have many flaws. Our team is excited to work with our collaborators at the University of Maryland to help develop a technique that can more globally measure these outcomes.
Being able to have a subjective marker for clinical response or aid in more prompt diagnosis could be revolutionary.'"So many times I have wrote about new things then you do not hear anymore I really hope they can come up with something that can help people and then you hear no more. I for one do not like being ill. That is why I walk and take care of myself. Mental illness can be bad for a person when they are ill especially when you do not understand what and why this is happening to you.
The article goes on to say. "Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder that affects approximately one percent of the U.S. adult population and influences how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The onset of symptoms usually begins between ages 16 and 30. Symptoms can range from visual and auditory hallucinations and movement disorders to difficulty beginning and sustaining activities. Currently, diagnosing schizophrenia and similar disorders requires a thorough psychological evaluation and a comprehensive medical exam to rule out other conditions.
A patient may be evaluated for six or more months before receiving a diagnosis and beginning treatment, particularly if he or she shows only early signs of the disorder. Recent studies have indicated that patient outcomes could be improved if the time elapsed between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of treatment is much shorter. For this reason, researchers believe a chemical test that could detect oxidative stress in the blood — a state commonly linked with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders — could be invaluable in helping to diagnose schizophrenia more quickly." The sooner the diagnosis the sooner you can be treated that sound better than waiting six months to get treated. I know if the doctor would have told me I had a mental illness I would not have had another breakdown. Instead he told me it just was me not sleeping and put me on a sleep med.
The article ends. "'he UMD and UMB team, led by research associate Eunkyoung Kim, used a discovery-driven approach based on the assumptions that chemical biomarkers relating to oxidative stress could be found in blood, and that they could be measured by common electrochemical instruments. Building on an understanding of how foods are tested for antioxidants, an iridium salt was used to probe blood serum samples for detectable optical and electrochemical signals that indicate oxidative stress in the body. The promising initial tests have shown various biological reductants can be detected, including glutathione, the most prominent antioxidant in the body.
The group worked with professor of psychiatry Deanna Kelly and her team at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, to perform an initial clinical evaluation. Investigators used serum samples from 10 clinical research study participants who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and a healthy control group. Using the new testing method, the research group was able to correctly differentiate the samples of those who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia from those who had no history of the disorder. 'Much emerging data suggests that schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders may be due, in part, to inflammation and oxidative stress abnormalities, 'Kelly said. 'Current methods for measuring these potential biomarkers are not standardized and have many flaws. Our team is excited to work with our collaborators at the University of Maryland to help develop a technique that can more globally measure these outcomes.
Being able to have a subjective marker for clinical response or aid in more prompt diagnosis could be revolutionary.'"So many times I have wrote about new things then you do not hear anymore I really hope they can come up with something that can help people and then you hear no more. I for one do not like being ill. That is why I walk and take care of myself. Mental illness can be bad for a person when they are ill especially when you do not understand what and why this is happening to you.
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