Biomarkers for bipolar disorder: current status and challenges ahead

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder marked by clinical and pathophysiological heterogeneity. There is a high expectation that personalized approaches can improve the management of patients with BD. For that, identification and validation of potential biomarkers are fundamental.

Areas covered: This manuscript will critically review the current status of different biomarkers for BD, including peripheral, genetic, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological candidates, discussing the challenges to move the field forward.

Expert commentary: There are no lab or complementary tests currently recommended for the diagnosis or management of patients with BD. Panels composed by multiple biomarkers will probably contribute to stratifying patients according to their clinical stage, therapeutic response, and prognosis.

KEYWORDS:

• Bipolar disorder
• biomarkers
• neuroimaging
• inflammation markers
• oxidative stress markers
• personalized psychiatry
• neurophysiological markers
• genetics

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.