Response to Colleague Neuroanatomy and Psychiatry

Discussion Board Topic: Neuroanatomy and Psychiatry

In this post, my classmate opted to focus on neuroanatomy and psychiatry. As has been highlighted in the write-up, mental illnesses have largely increased in the United States and the demand for treatment interventions that have fewer side effects has led to development of neuropsychopathology approaches. This is more so the case given that mental illnesses are associated with the brain’s functioning and physical structure. According to Quach et al. (2016) the brain is a complex network of systems which supports memory, learning, action, thought, and emotion. Therefore, neural network disorders are associated with mental disorders. Psychiatric diseases have different phenotypes which are difficult to define (Najera et al., 2017). Therefore, as highlighted by my colleague, systems biology happens to be one of the most effective approach used in neuropsychopathology for the clinical treatment of mental illnesses.

A systems approach comes in handy in the diagnosis of mental illness given that it helps in understanding the phenotype in psychiatric illnesses via the integration of data from different information sources. Systems approach involves diagnostic approaches which are inclusive of, but they are not limited to; immune system testing, genotyping, and brain imaging which are used to help understand the biology of mental illnesses (Najera et al, 2017). Apart from the systems biological works examples highlighted by my colleague, there exists other systems approaches that have been applied in various mental illnesses. For instance, the ‘OMICS’ technology has also enabled progress in the diagnosis of schizophrenia (Najera et al., 2017). This is more so the case when it comes to the hunt for “biomarkers that can be used as diagnostic tools for schizophrenia and other mental disorders or to figure out the candidate molecules for new treatment options” (Najera et al., 2017, p. 286).