Soon, a blood test will be available to detect psychiatric disorders

A blood test will soon be able to detect changes in levels of mRNA in extracellular vesicles linked to changes in the brain associated with mental disorders. — AFP

Johns Hopkins University researchers say they’re getting closer to developing a blood test that would identify changes in the brain associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders – an advancement that could enable doctors to detect the early signs of mental health emergencies.

In a study published last month in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers focused on the potential of particles called extracellular vesicles to provide a window into what’s happening inside a person’s brain.