New biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, depression and beyond
· Medical Xpressedited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Newly developed biomarkers may enhance clinicians' ability to detect and treat disorders of the nervous system, including Alzheimer's disease, mood disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2026, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
Neurological and psychiatric conditions affect billions of people worldwide and are a leading cause of disability. Biological markers, or biomarkers, could help doctors better diagnose and treat these diseases. The use of biomarkers is now commonplace in fields such as cancer biology, cardiovascular disease and genetic disorders.
However, the complex biology of the nervous system has been a challenge in the development of biomarkers for brain disorders. New research is advancing efforts to understand, detect and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders with biomarkers such as brain imaging measures, substances in the blood, genetic changes and subtle motor signs that may escape visual observation.
New findings show that:
- Measuring the size of brain structures other than the hippocampus may help detect early Alzheimer's-related neurodegeneration and serve as a biomarker for disease progression (Meaghan Morris, Johns Hopkins University)
- Some cognitively healthy older adults may maintain younger-appearing brain structure, despite having elevated levels of blood biomarkers linked to neurodegeneration (Karlon H. Johnson, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine)
- Changes in mitochondria genes in brain and blood samples from people with major depressive disorder may have potential implications for biomarker development and potential treatment targets (Maura B. Dupont, Columbia University)
- A new artificial intelligence (AI) system can detect and quantify subtle motor symptoms in nonhuman primate models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders (Nisarg Desai, Emory University)
"Biomarkers and outcome assessments are essential tools for improving diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring disease progression and treatment response," says Carol Taylor-Burds, Ph.D., a program director in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Division of Translational Research for the NINDS Translational Biomarker Program.
"Today's abstracts illustrate how research to identify and develop biomarkers and outcome assessments advances our understanding of the causes and progression of mood disorders, neurodevelopmental conditions, neurodegenerative diseases and healthy cognitive aging."
Key medical concepts
BiomarkersMajor Depressive Disorder
Clinical categories
NeurologyPsychiatry Provided by Society for Neuroscience Who's behind this story?
Sadie Harley
BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →
Andrew Zinin
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
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