Method and apparatus for diagnosis of a mood disorder or predisposition therefor
AssigneeThe University of Queensland
InventorsSteven Mark Miller, John Douglas Pettigrew
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Abstract
A method for diagnosis of a mood disorder or predisposition therefor in a test subject is disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining binocular rivalry rate in the test subject and comparing the binocular rivalry rate with a corresponding reference rivalry rate to diagnose presence or absence of the mood disorder or predisposition therefor. Also disclosed is use of the diagnostic method in genetic linkage studies for the identification of the molecular defect(s) underlying these disorders, and for the identification of compounds which may alleviate such disorders.
Claims28
A method for diagnosis of a mood disorder in a test subject, said method including the steps of:
- (a) determining binocular rivalry rate in the subject;
- and
- (b) comparing said rivalry rate with a corresponding reference rivalry rate to diagnose presence or absence of the mood disorder or predisposition therefor.
A method for assessing the clinical state of a test subject with a mood disorder, said method including the step of comparing measurements of current relative hemispheric activation to corresponding measurements obtained when said subject was euthymic to thereby ascertain the clinical state wherein the relative hemisphere activation is measured by:
- (a) recording binocular rivalry in the test subject;
- (b) calculating a ratio of total time spent perceiving left eye's present image versus right eye's present image;
- (c) determining which eye's presented image is represented in which hemisphere;
- and
- (d) interpreting which hemisphere has greater relative activation from the results of steps (a) to (c).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.