The Electroretinogram May Differentiate Schizophrenia From Bipolar Disorder

firemonkey · August 25, 2019, 11:50am

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Electroretinogram May Differentiate Schizophrenia From Bipolar Disorder.

M Hébert, C Mérette, AM Gagné, T Paccalet, I Moreau, J Lavoie and M Maziade, Biological psychiatry, Jun 27 2019

The retina is recognized as an approachable part of the brain owing to their common embryonic origin. The electroretinogram (ERG) has proved to be a valuable tool to investigate psychiatric disorders. We therefore investigated its accuracy as a tool to differentiate schizophrenia (SZ) from bipolar disorder (BP) even after balancing patients for their main antipsychotic medication.ERG cone and rod luminance response functions were recorded in 150 patients with SZ and 151 patients with BP and compared with 200 control subjects. We created a subgroup of subjects-45 with SZ and 45 with BP-balanced for their main antipsychotic medication.A reduced cone a-wave amplitude and a prolonged b-wave latency were observed in both disorders, whereas a reduced cone b-wave amplitude was present in SZ only. Reduced mixed rod-cone a- and b-wave amplitudes were observed in both disorders. Patients with SZ were distinguishable from control subjects with 0.91 accuracy, 77% sensitivity, and 91% specificity with similar numbers for patients with BP (0.89, 76%, and 88%, respectively). Patients with SZ and patients with BP could be differentiated with an accuracy of 0.86 (whole sample) and 0.83 (subsamples of 45 patients with 80% sensitivity and 82% specificity). Antipsychotic dosages were not correlated with ERG parameters.The ERG waveform parameters used in this study provided a very accurate distinction between the two disorders when using a logistic regression model. This supports the ERG as a tool that could aid the clinician in the differential diagnosis of SZ and BP in stabilized medicated patients.

y76 · August 25, 2019, 5:28pm

Psychiatry desperately lacks of routine diagnosis tools based on biology rather than DSM behavioral markers. It is about early intervention therefore prognosis but also refining of diagnosis for better treatment and general seriousness of what appears as a pseudo-science.

MisterCrowley · August 25, 2019, 8:09pm

Agreed I was almost misdiagnosed as bipolar because I had mood symptoms.

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The Electroretinogram May Differentiate Schizophrenia From Bipolar Disorder

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