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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Medical neurobiology: do we teach neurobiology in a format that is relevant to the clinical setting?

During a period of unprecedented growth in technology that allows imaging of the body in elegant detail, anatomy as a discipline has, in some instances, become marginalized. This may be seen in a reduction of time allotted to anatomy, reduction or elimination of laboratory experiences, or shifting of anatomy teaching to clinical departments. One potential cause of this marginalization is the fact that anatomy is frequently taught in a format that is not useful in, or even applicable to, the clinical setting. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the Medical Neurobiology course stresses the functional anatomy of the brain, especially the brainstem, in a format that is directly transferable to the clinical setting. These approaches include (1) using a small neurology book as one of the required texts in the course; (2) extensive use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) as an integral part of the instructional approach; (3) teaching external and internal anatomy of the brain, particularly the brainstem and spinal cord, in a "clinical orientation" that reflects how these central nervous system (CNS) regions are viewed in the clinical setting; (4) teaching nuclei and tracts in images of stained sections and correlating this information with comparable MRI and CT images; and (5) using a large series (75 images) of vascular drawings and clinical cases, all in clinical orientation. The clinical applicability of the basic science information, therefore, is continuously reinforced and extended. It is suggested that teaching anatomy and anatomical concepts in formats that are more obviously useful in, and applicable to, the clinical setting will enhance the value of this basic science in the medical curriculum.

Curriculum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The neurobiology of aging and the neurobiology of depression: is there a relationship?

The relationship between the biology of aging and the biology of affective disorders remains obscure, largely for two reasons. First, and most important, is the equivocal nature of the data that indicates that increasing age predisposes an individual to episodes of major depression. Second, is the lack of tools to assess neurotransmitter turnover and availability in humans. Indirect measures such as neuroendocrine function tests, platelet, plasma and CSF studies contain too many confounding factors, to allow for adequate testing of neurochemical hypotheses. Development of novel approaches based on dynamic brain imaging methods may ameliorate these shortcomings.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Importance of studying the contributions of early adverse experience to neurobiological findings in depression.

Almost four decades of intensive research have sought to elucidate the neurobiological bases of depression. Epidemiological studies have revealed that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the risk for depression. Adverse early-life experiences influence neurobiological systems within genetic limits, leading to the neurobiological and behavioral manifestations of depression. We summarize the burgeoning evidence concerning a pre-eminent role of early adverse experience in the pathogenesis of depression. The available data suggest that (1) early adverse experience contributes to the pathophysiology of depression, (2) there are neurobiologically different subtypes of depression depending on the presence or absence of early adverse experience, likely having confounded previous research on the neurobiology of depression, and (3) early adverse experience likely influences treatment response in depression. Classification of depression based on developmental and neurobiological features will likely considerably improve future research in the field of depression, and might lead to optimized treatment strategies that directly target different neurobiological pathways to depression.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Neurobiology of early life stress: clinical studies.

A burgeoning number of clinical studies have evaluated the immediate and long-term neurobiological effects of early developmental stress, eg, child abuse and neglect or parental loss, in the past years. This review summarizes and discusses the available findings from neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, other neuroendocrine axes), neurochemical (catecholamines, serotonin, other neurotransmitters), psychophysiological (autonomic function, startle reactivity, brain electrical activity) and neuroimaging studies (brain structure, function) conducted in children or adults with a history of early life stress, with or without psychiatric disorders. Early developmental stress in humans appears to be associated with neurobiological alterations that are similar to many findings in animal models of early life stress, and likely represent the biological basis of an enhanced risk for psychopathology. Clinical studies are now beginning to explore potentially differential neurobiological effects of different types of early life stress and the existence of critical developmental periods, which may be sensitive to the neurobiological effects of specific stressors. In addition, the role of a multitude of moderating and mediating factors in the determination of individual vulnerability or resilience to the neurobiological effects of early life stress should be addressed. Findings from such studies may ultimately help to prevent the deleterious neurobiological and psychopathological consequences in the unacceptably high number of children exposed to early life stress in modern society.

Brain↗
PubMed2006

[Neurobiological determinism: questionable inferences on human freedom of choice and forensic criminal responsibility].

Several authors argue that criminal behavior is generally caused by neurobiological deficits. Based on this neurobiological perspective of assumed causality, the concept of free will is questioned, and the theory of neurobiological determinism of all human behavior is put forward, thus maintaining that human beings are not responsible for their actions, and consequently the principle of guilt should be given up in criminal law. In this context the controversial debate on determinism and indeterminism, which has been held for centuries, has flared up anew, especially within the science of criminal law. When critically examining the current state of research, it becomes apparent that the results do not support the existence of a universally valid neurobiological causality of criminal behavior, nor a theory of an absolute neurobiological determinism. Neither is complete determination of all phenomena in the universe--as maintained--the logical conclusion of the principle of causality, nor is it empirically confirmed. Analyzed methodically, it cannot be falsified, and thus, as a theory which cannot be empirically tested, it represents a dogma against which plausible objections can be made. The criticism of the concept of free will, and even more so of human accountability and criminal responsibility, is not put forward in a valid way. The principle of relative determinism--the evaluation of the degree of determinism of personality factors potentially reducing criminal responsibility, which includes concrete observations and analysis of behavior--thus remains a central and cogent approach to the assessment of criminal responsibility. To sum up, the theories proposed by some authors on the complete neurobiological determinism of human behavior, and the subsequent impossibility of individual responsibility and guilt, reveal both methodical misconception and a lack of empirical foundation.

Aggression↗
PubMed2004

[Neurobiology and psychotherapy].

Body, brain and mind are all manifestations of one single organism; all mental processes are based on biological-neuronal processes and events. Advances in neurobiology have increasingly enabled the decoding of the correlates of psychological functions: genetic conditions, brain processes from sensation to cognition and from emotion to empathy, and social interaction. In the latter area, which is decisive for psychosocial research, neurobiological investigations are in their very early stages. Complex psychological functions are represented in networks; this renders it impossible to adopt simple reductionist approaches. Clinical phenomena such as pain or depression are also represented in neuronal networks. An abundance of neurobiological data validates (positively or negatively) psychological, psychotherapeutic or psychiatric theories or therapies. Such validation is indispensable. To date, there are no known fundamentally new approaches to psychiatric and psychotherapeutic practice which are derived from neurobiological data. Psychological phenomena emerge from neurobiological processes. Therefore, psychosocial approaches will be necessary in the future to understand such data in the context of methodological dualism (neurobiological versus psychosocial research methods).

Brain↗
PubMed2005

The neurobiological basis of temperament: towards a better understanding of psychopathology.

The ability to characterise psychopathologies on the basis of their underlying neurobiology is critical in improving our understanding of disorder etiology and making more effective diagnostic and treatment decisions. Given the well-documented relationship between temperament (i.e. core personality traits) and psychopathology, research investigating the neurobiological substrates that underlie temperament is potentially key to our understanding of the biological basis of mental disorder. We present evidence that specific areas of the prefrontal cortex (including the dorsolateral prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortices) and limbic structures (including the amygdala, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens) are key regions associated with three fundamental dimensions of temperament: Negative Affect, Positive Affect, and Constraint. Proposed relationships are based on two types of research: (a) research into the neurobiological correlates of affective and cognitive processes underlying these dimensions; and (b) research into the neurobiology of various psychopathologies, which have been correlated with these dimensions. A model is proposed detailing how these structures might comprise neural networks whose functioning underlies the three temperaments. Recommendations are made for future research into the neurobiology of temperament, including the need to focus on neural networks rather than individual structures, and the importance of prospective, longitudinal, multi-modal imaging studies in at-risk youth.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1990

The behavioral neurobiology of self-injurious behavior in rhesus monkeys.

1. Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is prevalent among institutionalized children, but the efficacy of current behavioral and pharmacological treatments is marginal. 2. There is evidence that SIB in humans has a neurobiological basis. A better understanding of the neurobiological factors that may promote or cause SIB is necessary for the development of effective pharmacologic treatments. 3. SIB that is similar in some respects to SIB in humans occurs in nonhuman primates that have been deprived of social experience early in life. An analysis of the "cause" of SIB suggests that it is a relatively straight-forward example of the development of neurobiological and behavioral aspects of aggressive behavior in the absence of social factors that would normally bring the behavior under environmental control. Once induced, however, it becomes environmentally autonomous and its proximal cause is neurobiological in nature. 4. There are three lines of evidence that nonhuman primate SIB is linked to malfunctions in the norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5HT) neurotransmitter systems. The activity of these systems appears to be altered by psychosocial deprivation. The functional relationship between the two systems appears to be altered or absent in socially deprived monkeys. Pharmacologic agents that act on these systems alter SIB in monkeys. 5. Preliminary data from socially deprived rhesus monkeys are consistent in major respects with studies linking altered serotonin systems to self-injurious behavior and suicidal motivation in humans who also probably suffer from social deprivation. 6. Taken together, these findings indicate that developmental study of biogenic amine systems, particularly finding ways to circumvent deficits in, or restore functional linkages between, the 5HT and NE systems, will lead to a greater understanding of the neurobiologic basis of SIB in humans and animals and will enable us to develop more effective treatments of SIB.

Aggression↗
PubMed2002

The neurobiology of borderline personality disorder: the synergy of "nature and nurture".

The author reviews the current state of our knowledge concerning the neurobiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD). A converging body of scientific evidence indicates that patients with BPD suffer from impairments in the brain systems that regulate impulsivity, aggression, and affect. This article reviews data on the neurobiology of the symptoms of BPD, including emotional and behavioral dysregulation, identity disturbance, cognitive impairments, and interpersonal difficulties. The author first considers the evolutionary context in which BPD can develop to put the neurobiological findings in perspective, and then discusses the roles of both genetic inheritance and the environment in the development of BPD. The role of neurotransmitter systems in the development of impulsive-aggression and affective instability is reviewed. Possible neurobiological contributors to the identity disturbance seen in BPD are also described. The author then considers environmental contributions to BPD and discusses the synergy of nature and nurture in the development of BPD symptoms. Findings concerning the types of neurobiological impairments that can arise as a result of childhood neglect and abuse and other types of chronic severe stress and trauma are discussed. Finally, the author reviews studies of animal attachment models that suggest that types of maternal care can produce lifelong behavioral and physiological differences in offspring and that this effect is mediated through the regulation of gene expression. The author suggests that the large body of neuroscience research reviewed in this article suggests that, while patients with BPD may be born with innate genetic tendencies for impaired brain systems for regulating impulses and affect, the environment they find themselves born into may be critical in determining whether or not they develop the full blown syndrome of BPD.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Neurobiological mechanisms of social anxiety disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The authors critically surveyed several preclinical and clinical neurobiological models of social anxiety disorder. METHOD: The authors reviewed the recent literature regarding three animal models of particular relevance to social anxiety. They then examined the recent literature concerning clinical neurobiological aspects of social anxiety disorder, including the developmental neurobiology of anxiety, the genetics of fear and social anxiety, and challenge and imaging studies. RESULTS: The available animal models are useful paradigms for understanding the features of social subordination stress, attachment behavior, and environmental rearing, but they incompletely account for the known neurobiology of human social anxiety disorder. The clinical neurobiology literature surveyed implicates specific neurotransmitter system abnormalities, most notably of the dopamine system, but largely ignores neurodevelopmental processes and the functional interactions between neurotransmitters. Both heritable factors and environmental stress factors appear to be responsible for the onset of social anxiety disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Social anxiety disorder should be conceptualized as a chronic neurodevelopmental illness that might represent a fully compensated state in adulthood. Future investigations from this perspective are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The neurobiology of suicide and suicidality.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current state of knowledge regarding the neurobiology of suicide and suicidality. METHOD: The literature on the neurobiology of suicidality and suicide was reviewed. RESULTS: There is clear evidence that the activity of 3 neurobiological systems has a role in the pathophysiology of suicidal behaviour. This includes hyperactivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, dysfunction of the serotonergic (5-HTergic) system, and excessive activity of the noradrenergic system. While the first and the last system appear to be involved in the response to stressful events, dysfunction of the serotonergic system is thought to be trait-dependent and associated with disturbances in the regulation of anxiety, impulsivity, and aggression. It can be hypothesized that neurobiological dysfunctions mediate the occurrence of suicidal behaviour through the disturbed modulation of basic neuropsychological functions. CONCLUSION: Increasing insight into the neurobiological basis of suicidal behaviour suggests that serotonin (5-HT) agonists have an important role in the treatment and prevention of suicidal behaviour. Studies of the efficacy of such drugs have, however, been disappointing. Because suicidal behaviour continues to be a major public health problem, further study is clearly needed, including research on the effect of combined pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic approaches.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed2004

Is psychosis a neurobiological syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: To describe theoretical weaknesses in the DSM-IV criteria for psychotic disorders and to argue that schizophrenia-like psychosis is a neurobiological syndrome similar to aphasia or apraxia. METHOD: We outline the criteria for the concept of neurobiological syndrome and present supporting evidence for schizophrenia-like psychosis as a neurobiological syndrome. RESULTS: There is evidence in the literature to support the hypothesis that schizophrenia-like psychosis is a neurobiological syndrome. CONCLUSION: Conceptualizing schizophrenia-like psychosis as a neurobiological syndrome has important implications for both clinicians and researchers.

Brain↗
PubMed1995

Nonlinear dynamical patterns as personality theory for neurobiology and psychiatry.

ADVANCES in the theory of nonlinear differential equations and their statistical representations have yielded a powerful, qualitatively descriptive yet quantitative language that captures characteristic patterns of behavior (what the psychoanalyst Roy Schafer calls "continuity, coherence, and consistency of action") that has begun to influence studies of complex systems in motion as diverse in specifics as signatory patterns of discharge of neurochemically defined single neurons and the dynamical structures characteristic of a particular composer's music. What might be called personality theories of neurobiological dynamics have arisen to replace neurobiological theories of personality. It is in this way that rigorously proven and powerful general mathematical insights have changed the face of determinism in research in brain and behavior. Two examples: (1) Very complicated looking behavior of neurobiological forced-dissipative (expanding and contracting) systems over time take place on low dimensional abstract surfaces on which only a few underlying abstract parameters control the action. (2) Independent of specific details (chemical, electrical, and/or behavioral), there exist a relatively few fundamental categories of behavior in time and transitions, among them a property called universality. Results from this new theoretical, in contrast with experimental, reductionism yield analogies with and new approaches to historically important dynamic ideas about personality and character patterns that are equally relevant to micro and macrocomplex systems such as neural membrane receptor proteins and individual personality styles. Research findings achieved over the past decade and a half in our laboratory and others in neurochemistry, neurophysiology, and animal and human behavior, as well as the results of a new demonstration experiment involving the prediction of dynamical category membership from abstract expressive motion in humans, are used to exemplify this use of a quantitative dynamic category theory across disciplinary levels in brain and behavior. Multiple measures of complexity adapted from current research in the statistical properties of chaos on unobtrusively observed and reconstructed orbits on the computer screen made by non-premorbid subjects executing content-free, computer-game-like tasks with a mouse, were used to reliably differentiate the "signatures" of two Axis II diagnoses as established using SCID-II criteria. Whereas the techniques of nonlinear systems have achieved some success in quantifying and stimulating the dynamical styles of relatively local phenomena such as the spontaneous behavior of neuronal membrane conductances, single neurons, neural networks, and field electrical events, we think that the real power of these techniques lies in their quantitative description and statistical prediction of global patterns of behavior of entire systems. For example, since the late 1970s our work has shown that these measures could be used to discriminate categories of drug action and dose when applied to patterns of rat exploratory behavior in space and time. The combination of abstract generality and quantitative precision of these methods suggests their usefulness as a cross-disciplinary language for fields like psychiatry that deal with complicated behavior of both neurobiological elements and "the whole person."

Behavior↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Neurobiology and psychoanalysis].

Psychiatry obtains benefits from integrating the findings of neurobiology with the knowledge of depth psychology. In this paper, relevant recent research in neuroscience is reviewed from the perspective of psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic experience and hypotheses have stimulated numerous experiments and research projects in neurobiology. Neurobiological findings have brought forward the neurophysiological substrate of clinical phenomena described by psychoanalysts, assisting in the specification of some theoretical notions, and making us modify others that were considered as already established. From a neurobiological viewpoint, some studies considered pertinent are commented upon on associations, apperception and unconscious perception, memory, and hemispheric specialisation and its psychological corollary.

Brain↗