Researchers uncover possible new biomarker for psychosis diagnosis
Researchers at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester in New York are investigating a potential biomarker in the brain that could diagnose psychosis before symptoms appear. Identified through MRI scans, this biomarker shows differences in brain connectivity, particularly in sensory regions and the thalamus.
鈥淓stablishing such biomarkers could provide a key step in changing how we care for, treat, and offer interventions to people with psychosis,鈥 said researcher Brian Keane, Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychiatry, Center for Visual Science, and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
The study involved 159 participants and found that these connectivity patterns could predict psychosis onset and help stratify patients for personalized treatment. Establishing such biomarkers could revolutionize how psychosis is treated, offering more timely and effective interventions.
A single five-minute MRI scan could potentially predict which at-risk individuals will develop psychosis, allowing for earlier and more targeted treatments. Future research aims to determine if this biomarker appears before or as psychosis begins.