Description
Biomarkers can assist in making a diagnosis, in deciding which treatments are appropriate, and in predicting individual clinical outcomes. These tools have revolutionized cancer detection and treatment, and significantly improved patient’s survival rates and quality of life. Biomarkers also hold great promise to meaningfully improve clinical outcomes for patients with psychiatric disorders, but at this time, no biomarkers that inform diagnostic or treatment decision are available in psychiatry. Our session will introduce participants to the general concept of biomarkers and possible clinical applications in psychiatry, using the examples of schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Kraguljac will first provide an overview of potential applications for biomarkers in psychiatric disorders, and describe how disease mechanisms may inform biomarker development in schizophrenia specifically. She will also discuss contemporary challenges in biomarker development and suggest what next-generation biomarker development studies could look like. Dr. Kumar will then review the clinical and neuropathological origins of Alzheimer’s disease and trace the evolution of modern biomarkers from their historical roots. He will draw distinctions between biomarkers of disease and molecular targets for therapeutic interventions – one of the biggest challenges in clinical neuroscience today. He will also comment on the debate of Aducanumab, a new drug that targets amyloid beta, and discuss potential implications of recent discovery that the study that inspired the amyloid hypothesis has been falsified. Following this, Dr. Grzenda will introduce the audience to the concepts of big data and machine learning, which have great potential to facilitate biomarker discovery from high dimensional OMICS technologies (i.e., transcriptomics, metabolomics, genomics, etc.). She will also comment on the trustworthiness of such applications in real-world practice and ongoing challenges. After the individual presentations conclude, Dr. Nemeroff will draw on his expertise to comment on the presentations, raise issues for broader consideration, and make predictions on how discovery of clinically meaningful biomarkers could advance the field. Finally, participants will then have an opportunity to ask questions to the group.
Format
Recorded webinar.
This content was recorded during the APA 2023 Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to define what a biomarker is and in which context it can be useful.
- Participants will be able to draw distinctions between legitimate biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and molecular targets for therapeutic intervention.
- Participants will be introduced to mechanistically based neuroimaging biomarkers that are relevant in schizophrenia.
- Participants will understand the potential and pitfalls for using machine learning in psychiatry for biomarker discovery
Target Audience
Medical Students, Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists, non-psychiatrist Physicians
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.5 hours
Program Start Date: May 1, 2025
Program End Date: May 1, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may do so after completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Instructors
- Nina Kraguljac, MD
- Anand Kumar, MD, MPH
- Adrienne Grzenda, MD, PhD
- Charles Nemeroff, MD, PhD
Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance