Predicting suicidality using a combined genomic and clinical risk assessment

Abstract

Biomarkers and methods for screening expression levels of the biomarkers for predicting suicidality (referred herein to suicidal ideation and actions, future hospitalizations and suicide completion) are disclosed. Also disclosed are quantitative questionnaires and mobile applications for assessing affective state and for assessing socio-demographic and psychological suicide risk factors, and their use to compute scores that can predict suicidality. Finally, an algorithm that combines biomarkers and computer apps for identifying subjects who are at risk for committing suicide is disclosed, as well as methods to mitigate and prevent suicidality based on the biomarkers and computer apps.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Continuation Application and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 15 / 735,304 filed Dec. 11, 2017, which is the U.S. National Stage Application of International Patent Application PCT / US2016 / 036985, filed Jun. 10, 2016, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Provisional Application No. 62 / 278,707, filed Jan. 14, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 174,880, filed on Jun. 12, 2015, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT[0002]This invention was made with government support under OD007363 awarded by National Institutes of Health and 2I01CX000139 merit award by the Veterans Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0003]The present disclosure relates generally to biomarkers and their use for predicting a subject's risk of suicidality (e.g., suicide ideation...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The present disclosure is generally related to predicting state (suicidal ideation) and trait—future psychiatric hospitalizations for suicidality. The methods described herein increase the predictive accuracy for specifically identifying subjects who are at risk for committing suicide and for predicting future hospitalization due to suicidality. In one particular aspect, the methods described herein increase the predictive accuracy for specifically identifying subjects who are at risk for committing suicide and for predicting future hospitalization due to suicidality.

[0009]In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for mitigating suicidality in a subject in need thereof. The method comprises: obtaining an expression level of a blood biomarker in a sample obtained from the subject; obtaining a reference expression level of the blood biomarker; identifying a difference in the expression level of the blood biomarker in the sample and the reference expression level of the blood biomarker; and administering a treatment, wherein the treatment reduces the difference between the expression level of the blood biomarker in the sample and the reference expression level of the blood biomarker to mitigate suicidality in the subject.

Problems solved by technology

Suicide is a leading cause of death in psychiatric patients, and in society at large.

A limiting step in the ability to intervene is the lack of objective, reliable predictors.

One cannot just ask individuals if they are suicidal, as the desire to not be stopped or future impulsive changes of mind may make their self-report of feelings, thoughts and plans unreliable.

There are currently no objective tools to assess and track changes in suicidal risk without asking the subjects directly.

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