How can identifying plasma protein-based biomarkers in adolescents help in the early detection and prevention of mental health issues?

In an exploration aimed at uncovering markers in the blood that could indicate a higher risk of mental health problems in adolescents, certain proteins were found to be significantly changed. These proteins are crucial in various bodily processes, including the immune system's response, the clotting of blood, and the health and development of nerve cells. The discovery is based on the adolescents' own assessments of their mental health through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which measures potential risks. However, to fully establish these proteins as reliable markers for predicting mental health issues, more extensive research involving larger groups of individuals is necessary. Additionally, it's important to track these findings over time to see if these markers can predict the progression to more serious mental health conditions.

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What a Biomarker is?

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Reference

de Sousa Maciel, Izaque, Aino-Kaisa Piironen, Alexey M. Afonin, Mariia Ivanova, Arto Alatalo, Kaustubh Kishor Jadhav, Jordi Julvez, Maria Foraster, Irene van Kamp, and Katja M. Kanninen. "Plasma proteomics discovery of mental health risk biomarkers in adolescents." Nature mental health 1, no. 8 (2023): 596-605.

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