The Human Illnesses
1st Edition
Published on 3. February 2011
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-19-536856-7 (ISBN)
Description
The genetic correlates of neuropsychiatric disorders are now known, but none have come close to explaining the great variety of human psychiatric illnesses. This volume, written by a neuropsychiatrist and an evolutionary biologist, offers a new paradigm for understanding these disorders. Proposing that neuronal pathways which underlie neuropsychiatric conditions mirror unique human capabilities, the authors iterate a new paradigm by which to understand human psychiatric illnesses. Human capabilities such as theory of mind, language, and complex social behaviors are explored through their histological, neuroanatomical and functional brain imaging correlates.
The capacity for representation, the authors suggest, is central to the understanding of the human brain. Brain structures such as the frontal pole, temporal pole, and fronto-insular cortex are highly developed in humans and are associated with representation. Other brain regions, including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, auditory cortex, and hippocampus, are linked with directed effort while the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, orbital frontal cortex, and amygdala are related to emotional encoding. Both networks interact with representional regions and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Conditions like schizophrenia may result, in part, from a failure of the networks associated with directed effort while bipolar disorders may arise from a failure of networks associated with emotional encoding. Similarly, autism may result from a failure of representational brain regions; frontotemporal dementia may be associated with failure of several discrete networks in later life.
From this perspective, neuropsychiatric disorders are selective failures of brain networks involved in the integration of cognition, affect and perception. A better understanding of these brain networks will assist psychiatric and mental health researchers in the search for environmental factors and genetic correlates of disorders as well as aid in the development of more effective treatments for these diseases. This volume will be of interest to psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, biologists, and imaging scientists--anyone who has ever wondered what makes the human brain human.
The capacity for representation, the authors suggest, is central to the understanding of the human brain. Brain structures such as the frontal pole, temporal pole, and fronto-insular cortex are highly developed in humans and are associated with representation. Other brain regions, including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, auditory cortex, and hippocampus, are linked with directed effort while the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, orbital frontal cortex, and amygdala are related to emotional encoding. Both networks interact with representional regions and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Conditions like schizophrenia may result, in part, from a failure of the networks associated with directed effort while bipolar disorders may arise from a failure of networks associated with emotional encoding. Similarly, autism may result from a failure of representational brain regions; frontotemporal dementia may be associated with failure of several discrete networks in later life.
From this perspective, neuropsychiatric disorders are selective failures of brain networks involved in the integration of cognition, affect and perception. A better understanding of these brain networks will assist psychiatric and mental health researchers in the search for environmental factors and genetic correlates of disorders as well as aid in the development of more effective treatments for these diseases. This volume will be of interest to psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, biologists, and imaging scientists--anyone who has ever wondered what makes the human brain human.
Reviews / Votes
The thesis of the book is reasonable and there is a need to integrate findings from genetics, imaging, neuroscience, and neurocognition into a comprehensive model. Regardless of whether readers agree or disagree with the premise, this will certainly be a step in the right direction.--S. Kristian Hill, PhD
Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Neuropsychologist
Department of Psychiatry and Center for Magnetic Resonance Research
University of Illinois at Chicago
"The thesis is certainly provocative, worth elaborating in a book."
--Gunvant Thaker, MD
Professor of Psychiatry
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Chief, Schizophrenia Disorders
Maryland Psychiatric Research Center
Associate Editor, Schizophrenia Bulletin
"This spellbinding new book, which presents an important theory of the etiology of the major neuropsychiatric disorders, may be a significant contribution, particularly since the hypotheses are testable. However, only studies and time will tell. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the brain and the mind." -- Doody's
"Williamson and Allman provide an array of current research findings on the
neurophysiology, anatomy, and genetics of common mental disorders as well as
evolutionary explanations of the neuroscience underlying cognitive processes such as
language, representational thought, and the theory of mind." -- PsycCRITIQUES
"The volume is a compact, captivating, and current update of vital scientific advances that reflect upon the uniqueness of the human brain, mind, and condition. I highly recommend this book to students and practioners of neurology, psychiatry, and neuropsychiatry as well as to others interested in understanding the unique nature of the remarkable human brain." -- Stuart C. Yudofsky, M.D. The American Jouranl of Psychiatry
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
The primary market for the book is psychiatrists, psychologists and basic and brain imaging scientists working in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders. The secondary market for the book would be students wanting to learn more about neuropsychiatric disorders. This would include medical students and students specializing in psychiatry
Dimensions
Height: 157 mm
Width: 236 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
499 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-536856-7 (9780195368567)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Peter Williamson:
Tanna Schulich Chair in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario;
author of Mind, Brain, and Schizophrenia (OUP, 2006)
John M. Allman:
Hixon Professor of Neurobiology,
California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology
Pasadena, CA
Tanna Schulich Chair in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario;
author of Mind, Brain, and Schizophrenia (OUP, 2006)
John M. Allman:
Hixon Professor of Neurobiology,
California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology
Pasadena, CA
Author
Tanna Schulich Chair in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Schulich School of MedicineTanna Schulich Chair in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Hixon Professor of Neurobiology Division of BiologyHixon Professor of Neurobiology Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California
Content
Table of Contents
Chapter 1- The Human Illnesses
John Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911)
Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926)
Leo Kanner (1894-1981)
Arnold Pick (1851-1924)
Current DSM-IV-TR Classification
Debates about the Usefulness of Current Classifications
Could the Human Brain Tell Us Something about these Disorders?
Overview of the Volume
Chapter 2- Background on the Brain
Brain Development
Relevant Brain Regions
Neuronal Circuits Related to Learning New Behaviors
Neuronal Circuits Related to Emotional Regulation
Summary
Chapter 3- Unique Aspects of the Human Brain
The Emergence of Homo Sapiens
Brain Size and Morphology
Are There Unique Cell Types?
Genetic Studies
Human Cognition Compared to Non-human Cognition
Consciousness
Summary
Chapter 4- Schizophrenia
Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Electrophysiological Findings
Neurotransmitter Abnormalities
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Schizophrenia, Increased Apolipoprotein L-1, and Resistance to Trypanosome Brain Infection
Overview
Chapter 5- Bipolar Disorders
Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Psychophysiological Findings
Neurotransmitter Abnormalities
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Depression and Inflammation
Overview
Chapter 6- Autism, ADHD and Anorexia Nervosa
Autism - Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Psychophysiological Findings
Neurotransmitter Abnormalities
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Anorexia Nervosa, Self-awareness and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Overview
Chapter 7- Frontotemporal Dementia
Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Overview
Chapter 8- Self-monitoring Systems
Self-monitoring Systems
Brain Imaging Studies of Self-awareness
Corollary Discharge Systems
Theory of Mind
Default Network
Overview
Chapter 9- Language Systems
The Nature of Language
Do primates have language?
Imaging Language
Language Anomalies in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Language Cannot Be Considered in Isolation
Chapter 10- Affective Processing and the Social Brain
Emotional Processing in Animals
Neurobiology of Emotions in Humans
The Social Brain
Self-awareness, Empathy and Intuition
Eating Together and the Complex Social Emotions
Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Genetic Imprining
Overview
Chapter 11- Why Do We Have These Disorders?
Representation in the Human Brain
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Disorder
Autism
Frontotemporal Dementia
Neuropsychiatric Disorders and the Representional Brain
Genetic Correlates
Overview
Chapter 12- Implications
The Search for Final Common Pathways
Should We Give Up on Gene Studies?
What do Neuropsychiatric Disorders Tell Us About the Human Brain?
What about Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders?
The Default Network and the Representational Brain
The Represenational Brain, Attentional Networks and Human Awareness
How Do the Representional Brain Control Systems Work?
Is the Represenational Brain Unique to Humans?
Von Economo Neurons and Brain Development
Some Limitations of Current Brain Imaging
A Final Thought
Chapter 1- The Human Illnesses
John Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911)
Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926)
Leo Kanner (1894-1981)
Arnold Pick (1851-1924)
Current DSM-IV-TR Classification
Debates about the Usefulness of Current Classifications
Could the Human Brain Tell Us Something about these Disorders?
Overview of the Volume
Chapter 2- Background on the Brain
Brain Development
Relevant Brain Regions
Neuronal Circuits Related to Learning New Behaviors
Neuronal Circuits Related to Emotional Regulation
Summary
Chapter 3- Unique Aspects of the Human Brain
The Emergence of Homo Sapiens
Brain Size and Morphology
Are There Unique Cell Types?
Genetic Studies
Human Cognition Compared to Non-human Cognition
Consciousness
Summary
Chapter 4- Schizophrenia
Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Electrophysiological Findings
Neurotransmitter Abnormalities
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Schizophrenia, Increased Apolipoprotein L-1, and Resistance to Trypanosome Brain Infection
Overview
Chapter 5- Bipolar Disorders
Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Psychophysiological Findings
Neurotransmitter Abnormalities
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Depression and Inflammation
Overview
Chapter 6- Autism, ADHD and Anorexia Nervosa
Autism - Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Psychophysiological Findings
Neurotransmitter Abnormalities
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Anorexia Nervosa, Self-awareness and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Overview
Chapter 7- Frontotemporal Dementia
Epidemiology and Natural Course
Neuropsychological Findings
Neuropathological Studies
Genetic Investigations
Brain Imaging Studies
Overview
Chapter 8- Self-monitoring Systems
Self-monitoring Systems
Brain Imaging Studies of Self-awareness
Corollary Discharge Systems
Theory of Mind
Default Network
Overview
Chapter 9- Language Systems
The Nature of Language
Do primates have language?
Imaging Language
Language Anomalies in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Language Cannot Be Considered in Isolation
Chapter 10- Affective Processing and the Social Brain
Emotional Processing in Animals
Neurobiology of Emotions in Humans
The Social Brain
Self-awareness, Empathy and Intuition
Eating Together and the Complex Social Emotions
Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Genetic Imprining
Overview
Chapter 11- Why Do We Have These Disorders?
Representation in the Human Brain
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Disorder
Autism
Frontotemporal Dementia
Neuropsychiatric Disorders and the Representional Brain
Genetic Correlates
Overview
Chapter 12- Implications
The Search for Final Common Pathways
Should We Give Up on Gene Studies?
What do Neuropsychiatric Disorders Tell Us About the Human Brain?
What about Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders?
The Default Network and the Representational Brain
The Represenational Brain, Attentional Networks and Human Awareness
How Do the Representional Brain Control Systems Work?
Is the Represenational Brain Unique to Humans?
Von Economo Neurons and Brain Development
Some Limitations of Current Brain Imaging
A Final Thought