Over the mainstream: diagnostic requirements for biological psychiatric research
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
1European Graduate School for Neuroscience and Brain and Behavior Research and Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Progress in biological psychiatry is contingent on progress in neurobiology and on research into proper characterisation and assessment of abnormal behavior. Advances in neurobiology are rapid and steady; diagnostic research does not keep pace. On the contrary, the diagnostic approach seems solidified, as today's basic premises are uncritically accepted. The diagnostic requirements for meaningful biological psychiatric research are discussed and contrasted with present-day diagnostic practices. Serious reflection on the state of psychiatric diagnosing is urgently needed.
Related Concept Videos
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychosurgery
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
