Pilot study finds hair cortisol serves as biomarker for mood in bipolar disorder

The complex mental condition known as bipolar disorder is characterized by alternating periods of elevated and depressed moods, as well as mixed states of both. At this time, there is not a reliable biomarker on the market that can be used to diagnose or monitor the disease. 

On the other hand, researchers have recently discovered that the levels of cortisol in hair may serve as a potential biomarker for mood in persons who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Researchers evaluated the levels of cortisol in hair samples taken from patients diagnosed with bipolar illness for a study that was later published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. 

The levels of cortisol in the hair samples, which corresponded to two months of hair growth, were analyzed and compared to mood scores obtained using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. The two months of hair growth corresponded to the length of time that the samples were kept.

According to the findings of the study, there was a positive link between hair cortisol levels and mood scores on all three scales. This suggests hair cortisol could be an effective candidate biomarker for mood in people who have bipolar disorder. 

The use of hair cortisol as a biomarker has a number of advantages, one of which is that it provides an average cortisol level over a period of several months. This eliminates the difficulties with circadian rhythm and acute stress.

These discoveries could have important repercussions for how bipolar disorder is diagnosed and treated in the future. Medical personnel may be better equipped to identify bipolar disorder and monitor the mood of their patients if they use hair cortisol as a biomarker. 

This study represents an essential step in the path that future research has to go to fully appreciate the potential of hair cortisol as a biomarker for bipolar disorder. Nonetheless, this study represents an important step in the direction that future research needs to take.