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Dynamic therapy in the decade of the brain
1Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Sciences, USA.
Connecticut Medicine
|October 23, 1997
Summary
Psychotherapy enhances brain function by leveraging neural plasticity, demonstrating that the brain is dynamic. This interaction between genetics and environment is crucial for understanding mental illness treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
Background:
- Emerging data indicate psychotherapy influences brain function.
- This is linked to the broader concept of neural plasticity.
- Brain structure and function are not static but are influenced by gene-environment interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how psychotherapy affects brain functioning.
- To integrate the psychodynamic dimension into understanding mental illness.
Main Methods:
- Review of diverse data sources.
- Examination of research on conditions like schizophrenia, OCD, cancer, and panic disorder.
Main Results:
- Psychotherapy demonstrably alters brain functioning.
- Gene expression, brain anatomy, and physiology are dynamic and influenced by environmental factors.
- Ongoing interaction between genetics and environment shapes brain function.
Conclusions:
- Psychotherapy's effects on the brain are mediated by neural plasticity.
- Understanding mental illness etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment requires incorporating the psychodynamic dimension of meaning.