The history of biomarkers in psychiatry: lessons learned, lessons forgotten, lessons rediscovered

Br J Psychiatry. 2025 Jan 15:1-2. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2024.239. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

A quirky truth is that the oldest biomarker findings are largely metabolic. These had minimal impact on contemporary thought and research and were largely ignored. They have been rediscovered and validated almost 100 years later, informing our understanding of neurobiology and medical comorbidity and spurring contemporary treatment discovery efforts.

Keywords: Biomarker; energy generation; mental health; mitochondria; psychiatry.