Gene Testing Specialist

What is gene testing?

Gene testing is a way of determining your risk factors for certain diseases. It also helps your provider select the most appropriate medication for your condition.

In internal medicine, gene testing can identify specific genes that indicate you have an extremely high risk or even certainty of developing particular disorders — Huntington’s disease is one example.

However, in psychiatric medicine, gene testing for specific disorders isn’t so clear-cut. Most mental illnesses seem to develop from a combination of factors, which could include biology, environment, and psychology, as well as genetic influences.

Research into gene testing for psychiatric disorders continues to progress, but one area in which it’s already proving useful is medication management.

How does gene testing help with medication management?

Medication management is especially challenging in psychiatric medicine because the way drugs affect different people varies so widely. This means it’s hard to know which medication and what dose is going to produce the optimal results in a particular patient.

When you’re in the grips of a mental health condition like depression or bipolar disorder, it can be frustrating and disheartening to keep trying different drugs at varying doses until you find the one that works for you.

Patients often feel that medication isn’t going to help them because they’re not feeling any benefits from what they’re currently taking. In fact, it’s more likely that they simply haven’t hit on the right one yet.

Having detailed information about your genes enables Dr. Olele to identify the medicines that have the best chance of helping you. 

Gene testing provides a more accurate indication of how your body is likely to respond to different medications, which helps to avoid the element of trial and error with your prescriptions.

What does gene testing involve?

Gene testing is a simple process where you provide a sample of cells from the inside of your cheek. The swab containing your cells goes to the lab for analysis, where they identify the biomarkers in your DNA that indicate how well you’re likely to process certain medications.

Where appropriate, gene testing can also analyze your DNA for the biomarkers linked to certain mental health disorders.

Gene testing offers a safe and effective way of personalizing your medication. The earlier you get on the right medication, the sooner you can start to get better.

Find out more about gene testing by calling Genesis Psychiatric Solutions today or booking an appointment online.