Neuroimaging markers. Their role for differential diagnosis and therapeutic decisions in personalized psychiatry

In the context of personalized psychiatry there is growing interest in the development of neuroimaging markers for differential diagnosis and individualized therapy of mental disorders. This article reports on new neuroimaging markers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and particularly recent multi-functional magnetic resonance imaging (m-fMRI) studies in patients with schizophrenic and affective psychoses. Using experimental key paradigms for targeted assessment of pathophysiologically relevant neurofunctional systems, these studies reveal both differences and commonalities between the diagnostic categories. In addition, the article outlines research strategies for further development of the classification of major psychoses on the basis of a more precise characterization of the neurofunctional and pathophysiological phenotype. Multivariate approaches may help to identify more complex neuroimaging markers relevant for diagnosis and/or prognosis. Finally, some examples will be presented for the use of neuroimaging markers in the individualized choice of therapy.