A promising methodology for determining depression and its types has been developed in Russia
Scientists from TSU, together with their colleagues from TNRMC, have proposed a promising method for determining the presence of depression and its types by certain “biomarkers” contained in human saliva and blood. This study has already been supported by the Russian Science Foundation.
It should be noted here that about 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression and, as a rule, the diagnosis of this disease is based on the usual assessment of people’s behavior and the hardware method for analyzing brain activity.
At the same time, depression is divided into unipolar (permanent depression) and bipolar (alternating depressive and manic periods) types, and at the initial stage of the disease, when the treatment gives the greatest effect, the manifestations of these types are very similar.
Russian specialists in their studies have found a number of markers typical for a certain type of disease. Moreover, they are already present at the very initial stage. We are talking about changes in the levels of guanine with cholesterol, thyroxine with serotonin, as well as phenylanine and certain combinations of them.
Now we are compiling a classifier, a detailed description of the indicators, which is necessary for machine learning of the so-called computer model, which will ensure complete automation of diagnostics. Experts promise to demonstrate all the possibilities of this approach towards the end of the year.
