There have been few attempts to introduce personalized medicine in psychiatry, mainly due to lack of biomarkers and a unique dependence on clinical observation of symptoms. We have recently shown that variability in daytime motor activity (measured for 24 hours as wrist movement by recording devices called actigraphs) can be used as a marker in acute episodes of recurrent unipolar depression and bipolar disorder, which are among the most costly and burdensome chronic diseases.
In three clinical trials we will combine traditional psychiatric monitoring with long-term continuous recording of motor activity: Acutely admitted patients with depression or mania to full recovery, bipolar patients with frequent episodes with depression or mania and patients in an ongoing treatment study of sleep in bipolar disorder.
By applying advanced mathematical modelling we will explore variability in motor activity across mood states as a potential biomarker. This will imply a potential of developing self-monitoring equipment, which could lead to personalizing diagnosis and treatment and thereby reduce the economic and social impact these disorders have on individuals and society. Establishing the role of activity in mood disorders could have implications for innovations in classification and treatment.
The project involves clinical psychiatry, neuroscience, mathematics and information & computer technology (ICT) at St Olavs, NTNU and SINTEF and synergies with research partners.