The doctoral dissertation in the field of Neuropsychiatry will be examined at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Kuopio Campus. The public examination will be streamed online.
What is the topic of your doctoral research? Why is it important to study the topic?
Adolescence, although recognised as a vulnerable developmental phase, remains underrepresented in psychiatric research. Addressing adolescents as an important age group in research is essential, as this period is often marked by the first onset of mental health problems. Additionally, current symptom-based diagnostic approaches have several limitations, making it difficult to provide effective treatments and reliable diagnosis. Thus, there is a growing need to move beyond this framework and adopt a more biology-based approach to diagnosis, treatment, and biomarker discovery.
My thesis supports this perspective by investigating immune and metabolic alterations associated with adolescent depression to identify potential immuno-metabolic biomarkers. Furthermore, understanding parental perspectives, awareness, and interest is equally important, as these factors influence the acceptance of emerging healthcare inventions. Exploring these dimensions has also been an important focus of my thesis.
What are the key findings or observations of your doctoral research?
The findings of my thesis highlight the importance of immune and metabolic alterations associated with depression. Among these, TNF-α emerged as an important cytokine associated with depression in medication-free adolescents, suggesting an elevated immune response. In addition, several serum metabolomic biomarkers were identified in adolescents with depression through a targeted metabolomics approach. These biomarkers belong to ketone bodies, glycolysis-related metabolites, amino acids, inflammatory markers, fatty acids, lipids, and lipoprotein subclasses. From a societal aspect, the findings showed that parents were generally supportive of the perceived benefits of adolescent biomarker testing. Nearly half of the participants were aware of such testing, and most expressed interest in having their adolescents tested in the future.
Overall, my thesis emphasises the importance of including adolescents in psychiatric research, contributes to the growing field of metabolomics in psychiatry, and highlights the potential of investigating biological changes associated with depression. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of understanding societal views regarding emerging healthcare inventions.
How can the results of your doctoral research be utilised in practice?
My thesis supports the need to uncover the biological underpinnings of depression and transition toward a more biologically informed framework. The identified immuno-metabolic biomarkers may, following further validation, serve as potential biomarkers for adolescent depression. These biomarkers may contribute to the development of a biomarker panel that supports earlier and more accurate diagnosis. In addition, the thesis contributes to the growing discussion surrounding the immuno-metabolic subtyping of depression, which may improve diagnosis and treatment for specific subgroups of affected individuals. These metabolomic biomarkers may also help guide targeted intervention strategies either alongside medications or in cases where medications prove ineffective. The findings from the research surveys on parents of adolescents provide a foundation for tailored and future large-scale surveys. The results emphasise the need for public education regarding biomarkers and biomarker testing.
Depression is a large contributor to years lived with disability and impaired well-being worldwide. The increasing global burden of depression, particularly among adolescents, highlights the urgent need for earlier and more effective diagnostic approaches. Despite being a vulnerable age group, adolescents remain underrepresented in research. Given the limitations of current diagnostics, a biologically informed framework may offer significant advantages. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying depression and to identify biomarkers that could facilitate early detection. Furthermore, for research findings to have a meaningful impact, they must be not only scientifically viable but also socially acceptable.
What are the key research methods and materials used in your doctoral research?
Overall, my PhD thesis adopted a multidisciplinary approach. First, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using the PRISMA framework to investigate altered cytokines in medication-free adolescents with depression. Next, to identify metabolomic biomarkers associated with adolescent depression, targeted serum metabolomic profiling was performed using high-throughput proton NMR spectroscopy. The resulting metabolomic biomarkers were identified through a combination of univariate and multivariate approaches. Finally, a research survey was conducted in Finland to examine parental perceptions, awareness, and interest in adolescent biomarker testing. Statistical analyses, including MANOVA, t-tests, regression, and other methods, were used to generate the results.
The doctoral dissertation of Kaustubh Kishor Jadhav, MSc, entitled The immuno-metabolic signatures in adolescent depression and their societal value, will be examined at the Faculty of Health Sciences. The Opponent in the public examination will be Senior Lecturer Dr. Jane A. English of University College Cork, and the Custos will be Professor Katja Kanninen of the University of Eastern Finland. The public examination will be held in English.
Doctoral dissertation (link available later)
For further information, please contact:
Kaustubh Kishor Jadhav, MSc, [email protected], 0449479208
