Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The integration of psychiatry with neuroscience, biochemistry, and genetics

Mark Rubinstein, MD
Conditions
October 11, 2016
184 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

As a forensic psychiatrist, I have testified in courtrooms, at depositions, legal hearings, and inquests. I’ve been cross-examined by attorneys whose agenda was to discredit my testimony or demean psychiatry as a medical specialty. Two criticisms frequently leveled at psychiatry are: 1) Psychiatry has not changed significantly for the last sixty years and, 2) Psychiatry is the least scientific of all medical specialties.

These beliefs are not true.

Over the last few decades, psychiatry as a medical specialty has changed dramatically.

Over the last sixty years, more advances have been made in understanding and treating mental illness than in all the centuries during which human beings have populated the earth. Even newer developments will change nearly everything about psychiatric treatment. Psychiatry as a medical specialty is on the cusp of profound scientific breakthroughs, and the specialty has entered the realm of neuroscience. With the latest developments, psychiatry can no longer be viewed strictly as a social science or the handmaiden of medicine.

Beginning in the late 1980s, effective medications were developed, including potent antipsychotic remedies, effective antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and mood stabilizers. These medications have transformed formerly untreatable conditions such as phobias, panic disorder, PTSD, and depression. The latest generation of SSRI and SNRI medications effectively smother symptoms of these disorders and have changed the landscape of clinical practice. New mood stabilizers have made bipolar disorder eminently treatable, and people so afflicted can lead normal lives. The latest neuroleptic medications have few side effects and suffocate symptoms of schizophrenia.

Innovative treatments have evolved, including light therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, sophisticated neuroimaging, and much more advanced techniques for administering electroconvulsive therapy.

More innovations are on the way.

Psychiatry is now on the cusp of revolutionary new developments. These include the potential for gene therapy and the discovery of new biological markers for many illnesses. Neurobiological markers for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other major psychiatric conditions have been discovered. These advances implicate specific brain pathways and chemical neurotransmitters as playing crucial roles in various forms of psychopathology. Neuroimaging of the brain has evolved whereby specific structural abnormalities are observed and monitored for psychiatric illnesses.

Certain predictive drug-related biomarkers will soon be used to indicate whether one specific medication or another will be most effective for an individual. There will be no more trial-and-error treatment for depression or schizophrenia.

In the not-too-distant future, biomarkers will make it possible to prevent the onset of mental illness and will be used to individually tailor treatments for those already affected. Within our lifetimes, a simple blood test to determine a person’s genome will be used in gene therapy. Imagine this: A blood sample drawn from an infant will be able to determine a minute genetic variation responsible for the onset of a specific psychiatric disorder later in life. Altering that genetic configuration will allow physicians to eradicate that psychopathology either before it arises or after it has achieved expression.

And, these new developments do not discount the benefits patients derive from supportive counseling or insight-oriented psychotherapy. In fact, for psychotherapy to be effective, it must work through biological mechanisms. Many neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that psychotherapy itself affects demonstrable brain changes, impacting certain brain areas as profoundly as medication, electroconvulsive therapy, and deep brain stimulation.

The integration of psychiatry with neuroscience, biochemistry and genetics has already begun. This development will have a profound impact on human suffering and well-being far into the future.

Mark Rubinstein is a psychiatrist and author of Bedlam’s Door: True Tales of Madness and Hope.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The honest reasons why this doctor chose internal medicine

October 11, 2016 Kevin 4
…
Next

Watch this inspiring journey of an orthopedic resident

October 11, 2016 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The honest reasons why this doctor chose internal medicine
Next Post >
Watch this inspiring journey of an orthopedic resident

More by Mark Rubinstein, MD

  • Where money and the law intersect, truth can sometimes be the victim

    Mark Rubinstein, MD
  • The psychiatrist as a double agent

    Mark Rubinstein, MD

Related Posts

  • Scenes from a medical student’s rotation in psychiatry

    Natalia Birgisson
  • Why a prison psychiatry rotation should be mandatory for all medical students

    Tiana Walker
  • Doctor, how are you, really?

    Deborah Courtney
  • Why aren’t you treating opioid addiction?

    Kathleen A. Hallinan, MD
  • Treating mental illness will not stop mass shootings

    M. Bennet Broner, PhD
  • 5 things America can do today to reduce gun deaths

    Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH

More in Conditions

  • Proposed USPSTF guideline update: Advocating for earlier breast cancer screening at age 40

    Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
  • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

    Alice S. Y. Lee, MD
  • Urgent innovation needed to address growing mental health crisis among children and families

    Monika Roots, MD
  • The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

    Cheryl Lazarus
  • The unjust reality of racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplants

    Lien Morcate
  • The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

    Teresella Gondolo, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Empowering Black nurses for lasting change [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Master time management with 7 productivity strategies for optimal results

      Farzana Hoque, MD | Physician
    • Proposed USPSTF guideline update: Advocating for earlier breast cancer screening at age 40

      Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian | Conditions
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician
    • Healing trauma and reconnecting: Unmasking the impact of dissociation [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 5 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Novel Anti-HER2 Drugs 'Impressive' in Advanced Biliary Cancer
  • What Was Tied to Lower Long COVID Risk?
  • Chemo-Free Approach Works in Subset of Patients With HER2+ Early Breast Cancer
  • Two-Drug Combo Wins for Refractory Gout
  • First-in-Class Sjogren's Drug Passes Mid-Stage Test

Meeting Coverage

  • Novel Anti-HER2 Drugs 'Impressive' in Advanced Biliary Cancer
  • Chemo-Free Approach Works in Subset of Patients With HER2+ Early Breast Cancer
  • Two-Drug Combo Wins for Refractory Gout
  • First-in-Class Sjogren's Drug Passes Mid-Stage Test
  • Pricey Drug Combo Boosts PFS in First-Line Advanced Ovarian Cancer
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Empowering Black nurses for lasting change [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Master time management with 7 productivity strategies for optimal results

      Farzana Hoque, MD | Physician
    • Proposed USPSTF guideline update: Advocating for earlier breast cancer screening at age 40

      Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian | Conditions
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician
    • Healing trauma and reconnecting: Unmasking the impact of dissociation [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The integration of psychiatry with neuroscience, biochemistry, and genetics
5 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...