Apr 30
Studies over many years have shown the importance of early intervention in treating mental disorders. More attention now is being placed on identification of the early warning signs of a mental health problem such as poor concentration, irritability, difficulties in decision making and social withdrawal.
New scientific studies are showing we are closer to finding tests and imaging that would reveal depression biomarkers and potentially allow for very early identification of predisposition to depression.
Researchers at University of Oxford found that the sequencing of the amount of mtDNA and mean telomere length—two components of the genome suspected to be associated with adverse life experiences—revealed a significant association between major depression and the amount of mtDNA.
"We have only a snapshot of the relationship between the molecular markers and depression," Jonathan Flint, a professor of molecular psychiatry at the University of Oxford and senior author on the paper, stated in a press release. "We want to know how they change over time—before, during, and after a depressive illness. That information will tell us much about their clinical utility."
Read the full news release here: http://alert.psychnews.org/2015/04/scientists-identify-molecular-marker-of.html