Metabolomics:Open Access

Metabolomics of Psychotic Disorders

Abstract

Tammie T Money ,Chad A Bousman *

Metabolomics, the global study of metabolites, has recently emerged as a promising approach for identification of potential diagnostic and treatment response biomarkers for psychotic disorders. To date, numerous studies have utilised metabolomics to better understand psychotic disorders and findings from these studies have begun to converge. In this review, we briefly describe the metabolomics approach including the different platforms used to analyse metabolites in biological samples from patients. We also summarise promising metabolic and pharmaco-metabolic biomarkers reported in the current psychotic disorder literature, which point to the dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism and the imbalance in oxidants/antioxidants that is present at illness onset. Finally, we conclude with a commentary on the challenges and future contribution of the metabolomics approach within the larger biomarker discovery framework currently being utilised in the field of psychiatry.