Combination of Neuroscience and Psychology in New Discipline

However, science still does not explain variations in the brain of patients in therapy, which some researchers believe is crucial to understanding its effectiveness. Numerous mental illnesses including depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction, and eating disorders plague 25% of the world’s population. Although therapy “holds the strongest evidence base for addressing many such conditions,” it still needs to be improved according to a study conducted by various college professors from UCLA, Cambridge, and MIT.

 Published in the journal Nature, the researchers note that some conditions like bipolar disorder do not improve after receiving psychological therapy and that there is a “culture gap” between psychologists and neuroscientists that has impeded the progression of treatments. They challenge scientists from both fields to cooperate in order to produce effective treatment options for patients combating psychological disorders. One of the main problems is that psychological methods of treatment have not been advanced by the findings in neuroscience in terms of emotion and behavior. Authors of the study feel this needs to change.

UCLA psychology professor Michelle Craske points out that neuroscientists and psychologists do not often meet or work together and that they read different journals, separating their knowledge of the brain into two distinct areas. Hoping to change the current dynamic between the two fields, the researchers offer suggestions to start the conversation. Firstly, they highlight the significance of determining the mechanisms driving current psychological methods of treatment.

One example is to understand how exposure therapy benefits patients with phobias and anxiety disorders. Known as an effective behavioral technique, patients are taught that their fears are not completely harmful in reality, subsequently diminishing the amount of fear experienced as they repeatedly encounter the object of their phobias. As a second suggestion, the researchers highlight the outstanding advances made by neuroscience in treating dysfunctional behaviors. They point out that the findings of neuroscientists should be incorporated into psychological treatment so that therapists can help their patients on a more biological level. Third, the authors stress the importance of the two fields working more closely together in the coming years. In an effort to unite the two fields, they suggest a new umbrella term that will encompass both disciplines—mental health science. 

Author

Gary Starkman Dr. Starkman, a top Neurologist in NYC, is the Medical Director and founder of New York Neurology Associates. He is Board Certified in Neurology with a subspecialty certification in Pain Medicine.