MR Spectroscopic Studies of the Brain in Psychiatric Disorders

This article suggests that the potential usefulness of event-related potentials in psychiatry has not been fully explored because of the limitations of various approaches to research adopted to date, and because the field is still undergoing rapid development. Newer approaches to data acquisition and methods of analysis, combined with closer co-operation between medical and physical scientists, will help to establish the practical application of these signals in psychiatric disorders and assist our understanding of psychophysiological information processing in the brain. Finally, it is suggested that psychiatrists should seek to understand these techniques and the data they generate, since they provide more direct access to measures of complex cerebral processes than current clinical methods.

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Inflammation and Pruning May Inform Risk to Psychiatric Disorders. Lessons From Large Genetic Data

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.034 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S56-S56

Author(s):

C. Crisafulli

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Molecular Mechanics ◽

Association Studies ◽

Molecular Pathway ◽

Starting Point ◽

Single Effect ◽

Competing Interest ◽

The Brain ◽

New Hypothesis

BackgroundIt's known that psychiatric disorders are caused to either environmental and genetics factors. Through the years several hypotheses were tested and many genes were screened for association, resulting in a huge amount of data available for the scientific community. Despite that, the molecular mechanics behind psychiatric disorders remains largely unknown. Traditional association studies may be not enough to pinpoint the molecular underpinnings of psychiatric disorder. We tried to applying a methodology that investigates molecular-pathway-analysis that takes into account several genes per time, clustered in consistent molecular groups and may successfully capture the signal of a number of genetic variations with a small single effect on the disease. This approach might reveal more of the molecular basis of psychiatric disorders.Methodsi)We collected data on studies available in literature for the studied disorder (e.g. Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder);ii)We extracted a pool of genes that are likely involved with the disease;iii)We used these genes as starting point to map molecular cascades function-linked. The molecular cascades are then analyzed and pathways and sub-pathways, possibly involved with them, are identified and tested for association.Results/discussionWe obtained interesting results. In particular, signals of enrichment (association) were obtained multiple times on the molecular pathway associated with the pruning activity and inflammation. Molecular mechanics related to neuronal pruning were focused as a major and new hypothesis for the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders and the role of inflammatory events has been extensively investigated in psychiatry. intersting, inflammatory mechanics in the brain may also play a role in neuronal pruning during the early development of CNS.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.

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Reelin deficiency contributes to long-term behavioral abnormalities induced by chronic adolescent exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in mice

10.1101/2020.08.10.245449 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Attilio Iemolo ◽

Aisha Nur ◽

Patricia Montilla-Perez ◽

Victoria B Risbrough ◽

Francesca Telese

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Lateral Septum ◽

Early Gene ◽

Novelty Seeking ◽

Behavioral Abnormalities ◽

Specific Manner ◽

The Brain ◽

Adolescent Exposure

AbstractHeavy and frequent use of cannabis during adolescence increases the risk of developing psychiatric disorders. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this vulnerability remain largely unknown. Here, we explore whether adolescent vulnerability to long-term behavioral effects of cannabis is modulated by Reelin, a gene implicated in the development of the brain and of psychiatric disorders. To this aim, heterozygous Reeler (HR) mice, that express reduced level of Reelin, were chronically exposed during adolescence to high doses (10mg/kg) of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a major psychoactive component of cannabis. Mice were tested in early adulthood with multiple behavioral assays, including working memory, social interaction, locomotor activity, anxiety-like responses, stress reactivity, and pre-pulse inhibition. Compared to wild-type (WT), HR mice treated with THC showed impaired social behaviors, elevated disinhibitory phenotypes and increased responsiveness to aversive situations, in a sex-specific manner. Independent of THC exposure, HR mice also spent more time exploring unfamiliar objects, indicating that Reelin modulates novelty seeking behavior. To identify the neuronal ensemble underlying this elevated novelty seeking in HR mice, we mapped the regional brain expression of the immediate early gene, Fos, in mice exposed to novel objects. HR mice exhibited reduced neuronal activation in the lateral septum, a subcortical brain structure implicated in emotions, cognition and reward processes. Overall, these findings show that (1) Reelin deficiency influences behavioral abnormalities caused by heavy consumption of THC during adolescence, and (2) that Reelin plays a role in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying disinhibitory behaviors, such as novelty seeking.Significant StatementThe link between cannabis abuse and the development psychiatric disorders, especially in adolescents, makes understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cannabis effects on the brain a significant biomedical problem. Reelin is a key signaling molecule in the development of the adolescent brain and of psychiatric disorders, but its role in modulating the behavioral changes induced by cannabis remain unknown. Here, we report an interaction between Reelin deficiency and chronic adolescent exposure to THC, a major psychoactive component of cannabis. This interaction led to cognitive deficits, disinhibitory behaviors and altered emotional reactivity in mice, in a sex-specific manner. These experiments are the first to establish a link between Reelin signaling and the endocannabinoid system targeted by THC.

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Delirium, dementia, and other cognitive disorders

Psychiatry ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198754008.003.0034 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca McKnight ◽

Jonathan Price ◽

John Geddes

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Brain Function ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Common Condition ◽

Organic Brain Disease ◽

The Brain

Organic psychiatric disorders result from brain dysfunction caused by organic pathology inside or outside the brain. Dementia is the most common condition, with Alzheimer’s disease alone affecting 1 per cent of the population at 60 years, rising to 40 per cent over 80 years. Many of the rarer organic psychiatric disorders tend to affect a wider age range, but present in similar ways. Given the changing demographics of most developed countries, disorders producing cognitive impairment in older adults are becoming increasingly important for provision of healthcare services and in daily clinical practice. This chapter will cover the more common causes of cognitive impairment, and there is additional information in Chapters 18 and 20 on psychiatry of older adults in psychiatry and medicine. There are three common clinical presentations of organic psychiatric disorders: … 1 Delirium— an acute generalized impairment of brain function, in which the most important feature is impairment of consciousness. The disturbance of brain function is generalized, and the primary cause is often outside the brain; for example, sepsis due to a urinary tract infection. 2 Dementia— chronic generalized impairment, in which the main clinical feature is global intellectual impairment. There are also changes in mood and behaviour. The brain dysfunction is generalized, and the primary cause is within the brain; for example, a degenerative condition such as Alzheimer’s disease. 3 Specific syndromes— which include disorders with a predominant impairment of isolated areas; for example, memory (amnesic syndrome), thought, mood, or personality change. These include neurological disorders that frequently result in organic psychological complications; for example, epilepsy…. Table 26.1 lists the main categories of psychiatric disorder associated with organic brain disease. The following sections describe these syndromes and the psychiatric consequences of a number of neurological conditions. Organic causes of other core psychiatric conditions (e.g. anxiety and psychosis) are covered in the relevant specific chapters. Delirium is characterized by an acute impairment of consciousness producing a generalized cognitive impairment. The word delirium is derived from the Latin, ‘lira’, which means to wander from the furrow. Delirium is a common condition, affecting up to 30 per cent of patients in general medical or surgical wards, with the primary cause often being a systemic illness. The term ‘acute confusional state’ is a synonym for delirium.

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Neuroethics

Psychiatric Ethics ◽

10.1093/med/9780198839262.003.0017 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 405-420

Author(s):

Georg Northoff

Keyword(s):

Deep Brain Stimulation ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Brain Stimulation ◽

Empirical Data ◽

Moral Agency ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

The Brain ◽

Deep Brain

Neuroethics, located at the interface of conceptual and empirical dimensions, carries major implications for psychiatry, such as the neuroscientific basis of ethical concepts as moral agency. Drawing on data in neuroscience, this chapter highlights issues central to psychiatric ethics. First, it addresses a reductionistic model of the brain, often conceived as purely neuronal, and then it discusses empirical data suggesting that the brain’s activity is strongly aligned to its respective social (e.g., relation to others) and ecological (e.g., relation to the environment and nature) contexts; this implies a relational rather than reductionist model. Second, it suggests that self (e.g., the experience or sense of a self) and personhood (e.g., the person as existent independent of experience) must also be understood in such a social and ecological and, therefore, relational and spatio-temporal sense. Ethical concepts like agency, therefore, cannot be limited solely to the person and brain, but must rather be understood in a relational and neuro-ecological/social way. Third, it discusses deep brain stimulation as a treatment that promotes enhancement. In sum, this chapter presents findings in neuroscience that carry major implications for our view of brain, mental features, psychiatric disorders, and ethical issues like agency, responsibility, and enhancement.

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Neurochemical Systems in the Central Nervous System

Neurobiology of Mental Illness ◽

10.1093/med/9780199934959.003.0002 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 12-26

Author(s):

Ariel Y. Deutch ◽

Robert H. Roth

Keyword(s):

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Neurotrophic Factors ◽

Drugs Of Abuse ◽

Large Majority ◽

System P ◽

Target Neuron ◽

The Central Nervous System ◽

The Brain

Chapter 2 describes the neurochemical organization of the brain. It summarizes the diverse types of molecules that neurons in the brain use as neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, and how these molecules are synthesized and metabolized. The chapter also presents the array of receptor proteins through which these molecules regulate target neuron functioning and the reuptake proteins that generally terminate the neurotransmitter signal. Today a large majority of all drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders, as well as most drugs of abuse, still have as their initial targets proteins involved directly in neurotransmitter function.

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Psychiatry, folk psychology, and the impact of neuroscience—a response to Steven Hyman’s Loebel Lectures

Psychiatry Reborn: Biopsychosocial psychiatry in modern medicine ◽

10.1093/med/9780198789697.003.0019 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 304-319

Author(s):

Jonathan Glover

Keyword(s):

Fine Structure ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Folk Psychology ◽

The Status ◽

The Impact ◽

The Brain

This chapter reflects on Steven Hyman's Loebel Lectures, which revolve around a contrast between folk psychology and what neuroscience is starting to reveal. Folk psychology is the unscientific picture of what goes on in people’s minds when they perceive, remember, think, feel, decide, and act. It is based on introspection and on intuitive ‘reading’ of other people. In contrast to folk psychology is the fine structure neuroscience is starting to reveal: the brain mechanisms underlying perception, memory, thought, emotion, decision, and action. Hyman says that mapping out this fine structure has the promise of changing the understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Out of this emerges Hyman’s philosophical claim that neuroscience radically challenges the status of folk psychology. Folk psychology, being in conflict with neuroscience, is largely false.

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Mental Disorders

The Blind Storyteller ◽

10.1093/oso/9780190061920.003.0012 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 191-202

Author(s):

Iris Berent

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Social Stigma ◽

Brain Diseases ◽

Psychiatric Disease ◽

Core Knowledge ◽

The Public ◽

Social Opportunities ◽

The Mind ◽

The Brain ◽

Mix And Match

At the “age of the brain,” one would expect the public to view psychiatric disorders as “diseases like all others.” But mental illness still carries a significant social stigma that deprives them of employment, housing, and social opportunities. Invoking the brain as the source of disease helps reduce stigma, but it elicits curious fatalistic reactions. People believe that if the disease is “in the brain,” then it is more severe, incurable, and resistant to psychotherapy. And it is not only the general public that is taken by such misconceptions. Patients believe the same, and so do even trained clinicians. Why do psychiatric disorders elicit such persistent misconceptions? No one would shun a cancer patient because she has a tumor in her breast. Why shun the sufferer of a disorder that ravages the brain? And why believe brain diseases are incurable? This chapter traces the misconceptions of brain disorders to the core knowledge of Dualism and Essentialism. Dualism prompts us to presume that the mind and matter don’t mix and match; if the disease is “in your brain matter,” then, in our intuitive psychology, ephemeral “talk therapy” won’t do. Essentialism further compels us to believe that what’s “in” our material body is innate, hence, immutable, so biology is truly destiny. Thus, the same core knowledge principles that plague our self-understanding in health also derail our reasoning about psychiatric disease.

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Hormonal Contraception and the Brain: Examining Cognition and Psychiatric Disorders

Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573400515666190521113841 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 116-131

Author(s):

Stephanie Laird ◽

Luke J. Ney ◽

Kim L. Felmingham ◽

Andrea Gogos

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Oral Contraceptive Pill ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

The Brain

Background: The combined oral contraceptive pill (OC), containing synthetic estrogens and progestins, is used by millions of women worldwide, yet little is known about its effects on cognition or on psychiatric disorders. The progestin component of OCs determines their androgenicity, i.e. whether the OC has androgen binding components with masculinising effects or antiandrogenic components with feminising effects. Objective: The present review discusses the literature surrounding OC use and cognition in healthy women. Given the important role that sex hormones play in psychiatric disorders, we also consider the influence of OCs on symptoms of schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and indirectly, sleep quality. Results: Research has shown that while there are no differences between OC users and non-users, androgenic OCs enhance visuospatial ability and anti-androgenic OCs enhance verbal fluency. Little is known about OCs effects on other cognitive domains, such as memory and executive function. There is little research examining OC use in schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders. There is some evidence that OC use is associated with depression, however the exact causality of this association remains to be verified. Conclusion: We maintain that future studies need to address several methodological limitations, such as separating OCs based on androgenicity to avoid the masking effects that occur when various OCs are considered as one group. As this review highlights several significant effects of OC use on the brain, the implications of OC use needs to be considered in future research.

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POST-STROKE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: AN OVERVIEW ON ITS SCREENING AND MANAGEMENT

Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research ◽

10.22159/ajpcr.2019.v12i1.26047 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Keerthana Chandrasekar ◽

Nakka Gautam Sai ◽

Princy Sabu John ◽

Sruthi Ninan ◽

Raja D ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Bipolar Disorders ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Post Stroke ◽

The Third ◽

Insufficient Amount ◽

Psychiatric Complications ◽

The Brain

Stroke is the third leading cause of death. Stroke occurs when an insufficient amount of blood is supplied to the brain due to a thrombus or an emboli leading to permanent tissue damage. Lesions in the brain can lead to psychiatric complications. The prevalence of psychiatric complications after stroke is very common. Psychiatric complications such as depression, anxiety, apathy, pseudobulbar effects (laughing and crying), mania, psychosis, and bipolar disorders are seen after stroke. In this review, various psychiatric disorders are reported among post-stroke survivors in which depression and anxiety are common. Consequently, apathy, pseudobulbar effects, catastrophic reactions, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and mania are also observed after stroke. Therefore, early detection and management of psychiatric disorders prevent further complications and improve the quality of life in post-stroke patients.

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