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Aligning digital biomarker definitions in psychiatry with the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria framework

Mulinari, Shai LU (2024) In NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience 2.
Abstract
The field of biological psychiatry faces a growing influx of digital biomarkers spanning self-report, social, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological indicators of various mental health conditions. However, the definition of “digital biomarker,” particularly the “bio-” component, remains unclear. This article reviews the terminology of digital biomarkers in psychiatry and argues for the reservation of the term exclusively for measures of biological parameters with a plausible pathway connecting to the disease or condition of interest to enhance terminological clarity and consistency with conventional definitions of biomarker, short for biological marker. While the distinction between biological and non-biological parameters may blur at... (More)
The field of biological psychiatry faces a growing influx of digital biomarkers spanning self-report, social, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological indicators of various mental health conditions. However, the definition of “digital biomarker,” particularly the “bio-” component, remains unclear. This article reviews the terminology of digital biomarkers in psychiatry and argues for the reservation of the term exclusively for measures of biological parameters with a plausible pathway connecting to the disease or condition of interest to enhance terminological clarity and consistency with conventional definitions of biomarker, short for biological marker. While the distinction between biological and non-biological parameters may blur at the edges, the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) developed by the US National Institute of Mental Health offers a valuable heuristic. The RDoC distinguishes between biological (genes, molecules, cells, neural circuits, physiology) and non-biological (broadly understood behavior and self-report) units of analysis. Aligning digital biomarker definitions in psychiatry with the RDoC framework would mark a significant shift from the current broad usage, where almost any digitally measured characteristic, when used as an indicator, qualifies as a digital biomarker. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience
volume
2
article number
15
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
ISSN
2948-1570
DOI
10.1038/s44277-024-00017-6
project
The New Scientific Revolution? AI and Big Data in Biomedicine
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a6c868ec-86b0-487e-81e1-31717d8c8f6c
date added to LUP
2024-10-01 12:58:47
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:36:18
@article{a6c868ec-86b0-487e-81e1-31717d8c8f6c,
  abstract     = {{The field of biological psychiatry faces a growing influx of digital biomarkers spanning self-report, social, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological indicators of various mental health conditions. However, the definition of “digital biomarker,” particularly the “bio-” component, remains unclear. This article reviews the terminology of digital biomarkers in psychiatry and argues for the reservation of the term exclusively for measures of biological parameters with a plausible pathway connecting to the disease or condition of interest to enhance terminological clarity and consistency with conventional definitions of biomarker, short for biological marker. While the distinction between biological and non-biological parameters may blur at the edges, the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) developed by the US National Institute of Mental Health offers a valuable heuristic. The RDoC distinguishes between biological (genes, molecules, cells, neural circuits, physiology) and non-biological (broadly understood behavior and self-report) units of analysis. Aligning digital biomarker definitions in psychiatry with the RDoC framework would mark a significant shift from the current broad usage, where almost any digitally measured characteristic, when used as an indicator, qualifies as a digital biomarker.}},
  author       = {{Mulinari, Shai}},
  issn         = {{2948-1570}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience}},
  title        = {{Aligning digital biomarker definitions in psychiatry with the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria framework}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/197371637/s44277-024-00017-6.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s44277-024-00017-6}},
  volume       = {{2}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}