Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax say they’ve learned a genetic test can predict a person’s chances of developing certain mental health disorders.
The researchers are using a polygenic score - a number that estimates a person’s risk for developing a disease based upon their genetic variants – to determine someone’s likelihood for developing major depression or bipolar disorder.
“Polygenic scores bring together thousands of genetic variants across the person’s genome. Each of these variants may have a weak link with the risk of a disorder, but when thousands of these variants are collected into polygenic scores, the link becomes stronger,” reads a release from Dalhousie University.
The research was conducted by Kate Freeman, a Ph.D. student in medical neuroscience. She discovered that polygenic scores reflecting a range of traits related to mental health – such as self-regulation and a tendency toward addictive behaviours – influence the risk of developing depression and bipolar disorder.
“Previous research found that the onset of depression or bipolar disorder is more likely in young people whose relatives developed these disorders and in those who had earlier, more minor mental health problems like anxiety,” reads the release.
To confirm those connections, Freeman worked with a sample of more than 1,000 young people.
According to the university, Freeman’s work with polygenic scores was more accurate when predicting the risk of developing the mental health disorders in comparison to family history or childhood mental health problems.
The research, highlighted in a study co-authored by Dr. Rudolf Uher, also found that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, self-regulation and addictive behaviours had a stronger correlation with the risk of bipolar disorder than depression.
“In the future, these predictors may be used to decide between antidepressants and mood stabilizers as the initial treatment option,” reads the release.
While the prediction is not ready for clinical use yet, the researchers suggest it may be used in the future to “help prevent the illness and if properly targeted to those at greater risk, could also help people get the proper treatment earlier.”
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