The Postulation for Biomarkers
What is critical for psychiatry, in this half of this decade, is to move from defining conditions by labels to doing so by the components and mechanisms in the brain.
Simply, when any psychiatric disorder is to be defined, it is better to do so by the responsible components in the brain and their mechanisms, than just to do so by labeling and describing those labels, dictionary-style.
A reason for this is that the complexity of mental disorders is also due to the opacity of their processes in the brain. For example, what is the difference between a state of delirium versus when it is not present? What is the description [say by display] of a type of substance use disorder that the patient and loved ones can view to understand the magnitude of the situation, rather than just hear labels and imprecise analogies?
Whatever is wrong with the brain in mental disorders involves certain components or elements. They relay differently from a regular state. How is it possible to have this described in a way that is relatable enough and conceptually corresponding to what is happening within?
This is the postulation in Conceptual Biomarkers and Theoretical Biological Factors for Psychiatric and Intelligence Nosology.
The objective is to define every mental disorder in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision [DSM-5-TR]. Then have it digitized, so that it is made available on-demand and with enough dynamism for changes in external factors and internal processes.
It also applies to describing human intelligence in a new way, as artificial intelligence takes on cognitive and affective tasks in the province of human intelligence. There is still no established definition for human intelligence in neuroscience. There are no types or mechanisms. So, development of human intelligence nosology at this point is both extremely important, to shape options as humans compete with AI, with an excellent memory and broader knowledge than any individual.
The Quest Towards Biomarkers
The quest towards biomarkers for psychiatric disorders is nearer if labels are moved to descriptions by components and relays in the brain.
Possible components are the electrical and chemical signals of neurons. They are the closest to what can be used to describe all mental disorders for now. As well as develop a detailed nosology for human intelligence.
It is possible to complete this work before August 31, 2026.
There is a recent press release, APA Releases Roadmap for the Future of the DSM, stating that: “The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has released a series of papers offering a proposed roadmap for the future of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The five papers, including the Initial Strategy for the Future of the DSM and four accompanying commentaries, are the result of the committee’s year of structured debate and consideration of long-standing critiques and rapid scientific advances.”
“They propose a forward-looking model for the evolution of the DSM. They also suggest changing the name from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual to Diagnostic and Scientific Manual to better reflect its scientific and global scope. The four accompanying papers address structure and dimensions of the DSM; the role of biomarkers and biological factors in diagnosis; vision for incorporating socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental determinants of health and intersectionality; and the role of functioning and quality of life in psychiatric diagnosis.”
This article was written for WHN by David Stephen, who currently does research in conceptual brain science with a focus on the electrical and chemical signals for how they mechanize the human mind, with implications for mental health, disorders, neurotechnology, consciousness, learning, artificial intelligence, and nurture. He was a visiting scholar in medical entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL. He did computer vision research at Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona.
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