Israeli-Developed AI Blood Test Treats Depression

This week, two Israeli neuroscientists have rolled out a blood test in the US and Israel that they say can measure the responsiveness of a patient with major depressive disorder to common antidepressants.

Depression is one of the most common forms of mental disorder, affecting more than 330 million people worldwide. Treatment methods rely primarily on a taxing trial-and-error process to find the right prescription drug, which can take years.

In Israel, the psychological toll of 23 months of war and counting has made the need for effective mental health treatment felt more than ever.

The blood test, created by Dr. Talia Cohen Solal and Dr. Daphna Laifenfeld of Israeli health tech startup NeuroKaire, promises to create a platform for personalized treatment of mental disorders. Guided by the test results, clinicians and psychiatrists can determine which treatment is most suited to a particular patient’s condition.

Read more at timesofisrael.com.

Cofounder Dr. Daphna Laifenfeld has a PhD in Medical Science and Molecular Biology from Technion.