Scientists have achieved a groundbreaking advance in mental health diagnosis by growing pea-sized "mini brains" from patients' cells that can identify schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with up to 92% accuracy.
The research, published this week, shows that these lab-grown brain organoids reveal unique electrical glitches linked to the two conditions, which affect millions worldwide yet remain notoriously difficult to diagnose accurately.
Researchers grew brain organoids in the laboratory that offer an unprecedented look at how neurons behave differently in people with these psychiatric conditions. The scientists found that specific features of the organoids' electrical behavior acted as biomarkers, correctly identifying which organoids came from affected patients 83% of the time.
When electrical stimulation was applied, the accuracy increased to 92%, offering hope for more objective diagnostic tools in psychiatry—a field that has long relied primarily on subjective symptom assessment.
The breakthrough could transform how mental health conditions are diagnosed and lead to more personalized treatment approaches. Currently, psychiatrists diagnose these conditions based on patient-reported symptoms and behavioral observations, which can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment.
The technology could potentially be used to test how individual patients might respond to different medications before prescribing them, reducing the trial-and-error approach currently common in psychiatric treatment.
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