Researcher: Blood test for early-onset depression promising – – CNN.com Blogs

The importance of this new research speaks for itself!

Redei’s research team discovered eleven blood biomarkers for early-onset major depression. Their original work used rats, and they confirmed their results in this small study of humans that included 14 teens with major depressive disorder, and 14 teens without depression. The researchers discovered that they could distinguish between major depression with anxiety and without anxiety, based upon the genetic markers.

“Having an objective test that tells a physician there is a physical, genetic explanation for depression” allows them to treat patients with a precise diagnosis, Redei explains. “Knowing there is an objective reason for their child’s feelings can allow parents and children to understand that depression is an illness, it’s a complicated illness, that is very common, and can be treated.”

via Researcher: Blood test for early-onset depression promising – – CNN.com Blogs.