First-of-its-kind blood test to revolutionize detection of psychiatric disorders

(STUDY FINDS) -- A pioneering new blood test is being developed to detect mental health disorders. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center researchers are hoping this blood test can identify psychiatric and neurological issues, including postpartum depression, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. This research illuminates a novel method of detecting disease-associated changes in the brain by analyzing genetic material found in human blood.

The study centers on the analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the blood. EVs are tiny, fatty sacs filled with genetic materials like messenger RNA (mRNA), which play a crucial role in cell communication. These vesicles are released by all tissues in the body, including the brain, carrying specific pieces of mRNA that reflect the gene activity within their tissue of origin.

This research builds upon a previous Johns Hopkins Medicine study from September 2022, which observed altered EV communication in pregnant women who later developed postpartum depression.

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