What is the Mood Assessment Taste Test (MATT)?
The MATT involves measuring a depressed patient’s ability to taste before and after their first prescribed antidepressant.
This could provide a painless, same-day indicator of whether a patient is suffering from depression or not. It could also indicate whether a particular course of antidepressant medication is likely to benefit the patient.
What is the Mood Assessment Taste Test (MATT)?
The MATT involves measuring a depressed patient’s ability to taste before and after their first prescribed antidepressant.
This could provide a painless, same-day indicator of whether a patient is suffering from depression or not. It could also indicate whether a particular course of antidepressant medication is likely to benefit the patient.
Why is a test like the MATT needed?
Currently depression is diagnosed based on physical and emotional symptoms only. No lab test exists. This can make it hard for doctors to make a diagnosis, and so delays treatment. In turn, this can mean a longer recovery time.
Negative side effects are common from day one with antidepressant treatment. It can take up to 4-6 weeks before a patient starts to feel any improvement. Therefore it is common for patients to feel their antidepressant is not working or even making them worse, leading to a loss of hope. Patients often stop their antidepressant treatment before giving it a chance to work. If a patient stops treatment too soon it is likely they will need to go back on medication in order to get better. Unfortunately this means going through the difficult early side effects again.
How could the MATT help doctors and their depressed patients?
The MATT could become a valuable diagnostic aid for doctors. It could encourage people who suspect they are depressed to seek the help they need. Stigma will be reduced and the idea that depression is something a patient can just ‘snap out off’.
Having an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan could give patients the hope, commitment and motivation needed to get well, accepting that they may be taking medication for some time.
Depression is a debilitating condition with devastating effects. The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier the treatment can start. This is beneficial not just for the depressed patient but for everyone around them.
Why is volunteering for the MATT trial so important for you, your loved ones and millions worldwide?
“Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide”
For a condition that affects so many worldwide there have been very few medical advances in the diagnosis, treatment and management of depression.
The Mood Assessment Taste Test could become the first, go-to test for doctors and for those who are feeling depressed.
The MATT could ensure a more accurate diagnosis and correct antidepressant treatment from day one. Patients will no longer have to wait 4-6 weeks to see if the treatment will help them. Ultimately the MATT could help provide faster recoveries from depression.