Hosted by Wyss Core Faculty David R. Walt, PhD, Diagnostics Grand Rounds brings clinicians with unmet needs to the Wyss Institute. The goal of these sessions is to inform technology developers about important clinical problems that can help them direct their technology development efforts. Presenters are asked to identify diagnostic needs that will have an impact on the quality of care they deliver.
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex disease that is characterized by clinical, cognitive, and functional heterogeneity. The reliance on traditional disease classifications (e.g., DSM categorical diagnoses) and the application of case-control designs have provided an incomplete understanding of pathophysiology of the illness. In this talk, Dr. Burdick will cover how, to overcome this limitation, they have applied empirical approaches to classify individuals along neurobiologically-relevant dimensions into more homogenous subgroups. These novel subtypes can then be further characterized on behavioral and biological markers to identify the modifiable risk factors that contribute to poor outcomes in people with BD, allowing for a more personalized approach to treatment.