Mar 15th, 2007
Mental Health Conditions Could Be Detected By Blood Tests
The old axiom is “there is no blood test for mental illness.” Psychology has been considered a bit of a soft science, dominated by crackpots, wild theories and half truths - and that’s not entirely untrue. But now some scientists believe they’re on the verge of discovering a blood test for panic disorder.
“The ability to test for panic disorder is a quantum leap in psychiatry,” said the study’s lead author, Robert Philibert, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry in the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.
“Panic disorder will no longer be a purely descriptive diagnosis, but, as with cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome and other conditions, a diagnosis based on genetic information,” he said. “In addition, the finding could help us better understand the pathways that initiate, promote and maintain panic disorder.”
Read: Mental Health Conditions Could Be Detected By Blood Tests