*Snehlata Shrivastav 7 Jun 2011
NAGPUR* : Psychiatry has evolved in leaps and bounds in recent times. Until about five years back, psychiatrists treated patients based on their behavioural and emotional pattern. The treatment for mental illnesses, unlike other branches of medicine, was quite subjective or circumstantial. They did not target the actual physiological or biological changes associated with a disease or illness. Now, research in the past decade or so has made the diagnosis extremely precise and scientific. It has now become possible to identify the exact changes in the brain circuits of a person through modern diagnostic tools like magnetic resonance imaging and use specific drug for specific symptoms. "We have moved from an era of non-specific and symptomatic treatment to specific medicines for specific symptoms. This has become possible due to the recent research in psychiatry, which has now interlinked the subject with neurology. You can now locate and relate the changes in the brain with the symptoms even if they are behavioural changes, and treat the person with specific medicines," said Dr Vihang N Vahia, professor emeritus in psychiatry and former head of the department at GS Medical College and Cooper Hospital, Mumbai. Dr Vahia was in the city for a two-day continuing medical education programme on 'recent updates in psychopharmacology' hosted by the Indian Psychiatry Society for west zone. Till few years back, anyone with abnormal behaviour was said to be functionally or psychologically ill. The person was not said to have a disease but he/she was not considered normal either. With developments in brain science, one can now pick up exact biological change in the brain or the cause for the emotional behaviour. "Different persons respond differently to same problem. For example, some people take the same stress in stride while others cannot because their threshold levels differ. Studying the changes in brain circuits and functioning of both types of persons has opened up doors to better treatment," said Dr Vahia. The reasons for different threshold levels in people could differ, depending on their genetic vulnerability, their past life etc. But doctors can now treat any mental illness using a biological-psychological-social-cultural model. Dr Vahia said that different parts of the brain release different chemicals due to different abnormalities, which can be picked up in MRI through changes in the brain circuits and the results can be used for targeted treatment. Traditional belief had it that individuals with bigger foreheads are wiser than others. Now, medical science has established it. The front portion holds the frontal lobe, which is responsible for wisdom, emotions and behaviour. Mental illnesses can now be related to different functions of the brain and even designer drugs can be developed to suit these behaviours. This can eliminate all the side effects of psychiatric drugs, said Dr Vahia. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-07/nagpur/29628874_1_frontal-lobe-brain-abnormal-behaviour -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
