Researchers at Dionysus Digital Health have unveiled a groundbreaking genetic test empowered by artificial intelligence (AI) that could revolutionize how women are informed about their risk of postpartum depression, a leading cause of maternal death. Priced at $250, this blood test leverages a gene closely linked to mood fluctuations during hormonal changes.
According to the Washington Post, the test represents a significant improvement over traditional postpartum depression screenings, which typically involve doctors asking patients a series of questions about their mood and thoughts. Dionysus’ test employs machine learning to analyze epigenetic markers in blood samples, comparing them with benchmarks derived from a decade of research on pregnant individuals who did or didn’t develop postpartum depression.
The startup, currently embarking on clinical trials, envisions making the test accessible to women at any time, although medical professionals are likely to administer it between the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, as reported by the Post. The goal is to enhance diagnostics, enabling early preventive care to avert hospitalizations or more severe outcomes. Dionysus’ co-founder and CEO Andrea Cubitt expressed optimism about the test’s predictive capabilities, stating, “It can actually predict before an illness has occurred or if someone has an increased risk, in this case, of postpartum depression,” in an interview with the San Diego Business Journal.
Despite these advancements, concerns have surfaced regarding the AI model’s training data, primarily sourced from a predominantly white patient group at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Such AI models can inadvertently perpetuate biases present in the data. However, Dionysus aims to address this issue by validating its model with more diverse patient groups, facilitated by a $6 million grant from the Department of Defense. FDA approval for the test is anticipated to take several years. Dionysus hopes that insurers and employers will eventually cover the $250 cost of the test, although experts caution that without coverage, it may only be accessible to those who can afford it.
Additionally, AI is being harnessed in other interventions, such as a postpartum depression chatbot developed by researchers at the University of Texas, according to Fox News.
