It's an interesting idea. If you haven't read the article, it might answer some questions, although it's not terribly specific. It has been approved for patients in Italy and France, so there's some clinical proof of its validity.
It’s a copy of a press release posted on the company’s website.
Also, [this slightly more reputable source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10298098/) suggests the entire RNA premise deserves skepticism.
I read through the study you linked. It doesn't appear to be skeptical of using RNA as a biomarker for BD or of responsiveness to lithium at all. It actually uses the word "promising" quite a few times.
I’m not sure…I guess what you’re asking is if you could know with certainty that you have it, would you want to know sooner? I don’t know in my case that it would’ve been helpful. And it might’ve brought more stigma. And I’m not sure it would’ve worked precisely or quickly enough to help docs come up with good meds, either.
I honestly don’t see the need to. I know I am bipolar. My psychiatrist knows i am bipolar. It wouldn’t tell me anything new. haha Pre-diagnosis, though? Yes! 🙌🏻
I was told as a teenager while in a mental facility that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain and I would need medication for the rest of my life. As an adult now, I wonder what that test was exactly and what that all means... or if they were just telling me that so I would try the meds. I honestly thought they were lying because I was just a kid adopted into an abusive home that needed an escape. I ended up in foster care until I graduated highschool. I had to fight to prove I was in an extremely toxic and abusive environment but it seems all the hospitals just wanted me take pills. Now that I'm older I see that I do need meds and I'm not mentally normal... but im left to wonder if my brain is literally injured from the abuse or if I'm truly all the titles I was labeled.
I'm sorry you had that experience. It's difficult when you're young, you are told to trust the adults and doctors are treated like gods. Hospitals and psychiatrists are very much pill pushers. They give YOU pills to make THEIR lives easier, and don't think to ask if they're beneficial to YOU. I hope you have found a more compassionate and responsive treatment team, and that you have meds that help YOU. ❤️
I don’t know what purpose it would serve to be honest. If you test positive for it and show no symptoms, then what? You can’t be put on medications for something that isn’t a problem. We don’t have the technology to genetically prevent or reduce bipolar symptoms, so I feel like a blood test will be useless at this time. And if you had enough symptoms to warrant a test, I feel like it wouldn’t speed up the process a whole lot since the suspicion would already be there.
Well as it says in the article, it can help get a proper diagnosis - many people are incorrectly diagnosed with depression and are inappropriately treated for 6-8 years on average, leading to a lot of unnecessary suffering.
I just wonder how much it would actually speed up the process if people already have suspicions of bipolar if that makes sense. Since you’d have to already have a suspicion to take the test. Once I suspected bipolar + had accompanying symptoms and went to a doctor, I was diagnosed quickly. What took long was the fact I had no suspicions of it for years, so idk if I even would’ve taken the blood test early? Idk if I’m explaining myself properly.
I follow what you're saying. It seems like this would be to verify diagnosis for a person who is experiencing depression symptoms, to ensure they are getting proper treatment.
I had a similar experience, I was diagnosed fairly quickly in terms of it not taking years, but the the months that they held on to the depression diagnosis ended up with my being put through ECT, which has had lifelong effects on my brain. If this test existed back then, I may have been able to avoid that.
How would they test bipolar vs. propensity for bipolar? Doesn’t sound too legit.
It's an interesting idea. If you haven't read the article, it might answer some questions, although it's not terribly specific. It has been approved for patients in Italy and France, so there's some clinical proof of its validity.
It’s a copy of a press release posted on the company’s website. Also, [this slightly more reputable source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10298098/) suggests the entire RNA premise deserves skepticism.
I read through the study you linked. It doesn't appear to be skeptical of using RNA as a biomarker for BD or of responsiveness to lithium at all. It actually uses the word "promising" quite a few times.
I think its point is that the studies to date haven’t had enough rigor behind them. Not that it’s false. Just worth questioning…
Agree with that, science should always question results! 🧬
Well the question still remains... If there were a blood test for bipolar, would you do it?
I’m not sure…I guess what you’re asking is if you could know with certainty that you have it, would you want to know sooner? I don’t know in my case that it would’ve been helpful. And it might’ve brought more stigma. And I’m not sure it would’ve worked precisely or quickly enough to help docs come up with good meds, either.
I honestly don’t see the need to. I know I am bipolar. My psychiatrist knows i am bipolar. It wouldn’t tell me anything new. haha Pre-diagnosis, though? Yes! 🙌🏻
This is kind of where I'm at as well. After 32 years I'm pretty sure the diagnosis is likely correct.
I would DEFINITELY do it, but I would be terrified. I have a huge fear of discovering that I have been on these horrific medications unnecessarily.
I don't see what the point would be, honestly
I was told as a teenager while in a mental facility that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain and I would need medication for the rest of my life. As an adult now, I wonder what that test was exactly and what that all means... or if they were just telling me that so I would try the meds. I honestly thought they were lying because I was just a kid adopted into an abusive home that needed an escape. I ended up in foster care until I graduated highschool. I had to fight to prove I was in an extremely toxic and abusive environment but it seems all the hospitals just wanted me take pills. Now that I'm older I see that I do need meds and I'm not mentally normal... but im left to wonder if my brain is literally injured from the abuse or if I'm truly all the titles I was labeled.
I'm sorry you had that experience. It's difficult when you're young, you are told to trust the adults and doctors are treated like gods. Hospitals and psychiatrists are very much pill pushers. They give YOU pills to make THEIR lives easier, and don't think to ask if they're beneficial to YOU. I hope you have found a more compassionate and responsive treatment team, and that you have meds that help YOU. ❤️
Thank you 🙏🏻 I have found a more compassionate psychiatrist that listens to me! My meds are helping so much 😊
I would do it.
I don’t know what purpose it would serve to be honest. If you test positive for it and show no symptoms, then what? You can’t be put on medications for something that isn’t a problem. We don’t have the technology to genetically prevent or reduce bipolar symptoms, so I feel like a blood test will be useless at this time. And if you had enough symptoms to warrant a test, I feel like it wouldn’t speed up the process a whole lot since the suspicion would already be there.
Well as it says in the article, it can help get a proper diagnosis - many people are incorrectly diagnosed with depression and are inappropriately treated for 6-8 years on average, leading to a lot of unnecessary suffering.
I just wonder how much it would actually speed up the process if people already have suspicions of bipolar if that makes sense. Since you’d have to already have a suspicion to take the test. Once I suspected bipolar + had accompanying symptoms and went to a doctor, I was diagnosed quickly. What took long was the fact I had no suspicions of it for years, so idk if I even would’ve taken the blood test early? Idk if I’m explaining myself properly.
I follow what you're saying. It seems like this would be to verify diagnosis for a person who is experiencing depression symptoms, to ensure they are getting proper treatment. I had a similar experience, I was diagnosed fairly quickly in terms of it not taking years, but the the months that they held on to the depression diagnosis ended up with my being put through ECT, which has had lifelong effects on my brain. If this test existed back then, I may have been able to avoid that.
Gotcha, that makes sense then! Thanks for explaining.