Are There Any Tests That Can Predict Which Antidepressant May Be Helpful?

— -- Question: Are there any tests (e.g., blood tests, genetic tests, brain scans) that can predict which antidepressant may be helpful for a depressed child or adolescent?

Answer: At this point, there's a great deal of research focused on ways to target which medicines would work for which children. These are tests that have to do with neuroimaging, pictures of the brain, also with genetic surveys. But at this point, none of those tests are useful enough to yield any treatment utility.

So that's something for us to look forward to down the road, but right now, the best indicator of whether or not a medicine will work in child or adolescent is whether somebody else in their immediate family has responded to that same medication.

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