Neural Sciences
The Human Brain Is Responsible For Cognitive Abilities, Emotions, And
Behaviors. During The \"Decade Of The Brain\" In The 1990s, Major
Advances In Neural Sciences Took Place, And The Brain Was Finally
Recognized As The Biological Substrate For All Normal And Abnormal
Mental Functions. It Is Possible To Conceive A Biologically Based
Diagnostic System For Psychiatric Disorders. This Approach Will Also
Permit And Advance Brain Oriented Investigational Efforts To Produce
Better Psychiatric Treatments And, Thus, Improve The Quality Of Care Of
Psychiatric Patients. In Most Fields Of Medicine, Diagnoses Are Based On
Physical Signs, Symptoms, A Comprehensive Medical History, And
Laboratory, Radiological, And Other Relevant Tests And Procedures. In
Psychiatry, However, The Diagnoses Are Based Primarily On The Clinical
Impression Of The Patient's Interpretation Of His Or Her Thoughts And
Feelings.
If The Brain Is The Site Of Focus For Psychiatric Disorders, One Should
Attempt To Develop A Classification System On The Understanding Of
Biological Factors Rather Than Primarily Patient's Symptoms. Neural
Sciences Focus Primarily On Brain Biology. It Is, Therefore, Essential
That One Start To Focus More Intensively On The Functions Of The
Brain From A Mental Illness Viewpoint.
Besides Understanding The Functions And Dysfunctions Of Lobal Regions,
Basal Ganglia, Limbic Structures, Hypothalamus, And Other Relevant
Areas Of The Brain, One Should Understand The Ultra Structure Of
Individual Brain Cells. Of Further Importance Are The Synaptic
Connectivity And The Functional Organization Of The Brain, As Well As
The Behavioral Consequences Of Pathological Processes That Take Place
In The Central Nervous System (CNS). At The Same Time, The Role Of
Genetics Is Very Relevant In This Regard; Particularly, Insofar As
Psychiatric
Disorders Are Concerned. Thus, Knowledge About Gene Expression, DNA
Replication, Messenger RNA Synthesis And Translation Into Protein, As Well As
The Outcomes Of Mutations At Each Of These Stages Are Quite Relevant In This
Context.
Knowledge Of Clinical Psychopharmacology Is Essential, Including
Neurotransmitters, Brain Location Of The Biogenic Amine Neurotransmitter
Nuclei, And The Distribution
Of The Axonal Projections. The Roles Of Glutamate, [Gamma]-Aminobutiric Acid
,(GABA), Monoamine Neurotransmitters, Such As Serotonin, Dopamine,
Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Histamine, And Acetylcholine, As Well As The
Peptide Neurotransmitters Such As Endorphins And Enkephalins, Are All Crucial
To The Understanding Of The
Use Of Psychopharmacological Agents.
Also Of Crucial Importance Is The Knowledge Of The Major Neuroimaging
Techniques, As Well As The Clinical Limitations Of These Neuroimaging
Techniques. They
Include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT),
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), Single Photon Emission Computed
Tomography (SPECT), Proton Emission Tomography (PET),
Electroencephalography (EEG), And Magnetoencephalography (MEG), As Well
As Others.
Without Question, Medical Students And Psychiatric Physicians Need To Be
Familiar And Have Knowledge About The Field Of Neuroscience. The
Following Questions And Answers Will Permit Them To Assess Their
Knowledge In This Regard.
Helpful Hints
The Student Should Know The Following Terms, Theoreticians, And
Concepts. Acetylcholine
, Animacy
Apoptosis
Ascending Pathways
Broca's Area
Catecholamines
Caudate Nucleus
Chronobiology
Circadian Rhythm
Decoding Emotions
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
Dopamine
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
Endophenotypes
Epigenetics
Genetic Factors In Cognition, Temperament And
Personality Genome
Globus Pallidus
Glutamic Acid
Histamine
Limbic System
Locus Ceruleus
Metabolic Syndrome
Neuropeptides
Neurotropic Factors
Nitric Oxide
Norephinephrine And Epinephrine
Population Genetics
Putamen
Receptors
REM And NREM Sleep
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
(RTMS) Seasonal Affective Disorder And
Circadian Rhythm Self
Serotonin
Substania Nigra
P.2
Subthalamic
Nucleus
Syndromes Of Pain
Transcriptome
Transporters
Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
Wakefullness
[Gamma]-Aminobutyric Acid
(GABA) Questions
Directions
Each Of The Questions Or Incomplete Statements Below Is Followed By