"A recent study published in Biological Psychiatry identified a distinct subtype of psychiatric illness marked by brain inflammation, one that cuts across traditional diagnoses and may explain why standard treatments fail for some people (Tang et al., 2025).This new brain imaging study offers an interesting clue. It turns out that across different psychiatric disorders, some people show clear signs of brain inflammation, visible on scans and confirmed through immune system tests."
"The research team brought together hundreds of teens and adults living with major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. They gathered three layers of information: (1) brain scans to see how different regions talk to each other when the mind is at rest; (2) blood tests searching for markers that tell us how active the immune system is; and (3) more bloodwork, checking for classic signs of inflammation in the balance of white blood cells."
Brain scans and blood tests show that inflammation can alter thinking, mood, and treatment response. Standard psychiatric medications appear less effective for people with neuroinflammation. Personalized neuroimmune data can guide treatment for symptoms resistant to traditional therapies. Hundreds of teens and adults with major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia were assessed using three data layers: resting-state brain connectivity, blood immune-activation markers, and white blood cell inflammation measures. Two biological profiles emerged. One profile showed immune activation, a specific brain network pattern, and a distinct biological signature labeled the "immunoinflammatory biotype".
Read at Psychology Today
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