Neuroscience Perspectives in Psychiatry
Updated: 4/2/21
Intro Heading link
PREREQUISITES AND PLACEMENT IN THE CURRICULUM:
None
PURPOSE:
Pathophysiology is integral to clinical medicine but has historically been missing from clinical psychiatry. What is happening in our patients’ brains when they present with psychiatric symptoms? Is this a black box, too complex to ever approach? The early 20th century theories of the mind were layered with late 20th century explanations of “chemical imbalances,” based on the response of symptoms to medications, but the 21st century demands that a modern understanding of neurobiology is integrated into every aspect of psychiatric care. Neuroscience Perspectives in Psychiatry is intended as an introduction to cutting edge psychiatric neuroscience, with an emphasis on helping learners to navigate the science and to make it digestible for use with patients and their families.
Neuroscience Perspectives in Psychiatry will prepare students to discuss mental health topics with the same approach as other medical models of disease/treatment relationships. This neurobiological approach can help reduce the stigma of mental illness and create a way of breaking down barriers to discussing issues often regarded as immoral, sinful, or unspeakable. This class is ideal for any students with an interest in clinical neuroscience specialties, primary care (where the largest percentage of mental health care occurs), or anyone interested in exploring the last great frontier in medicine, the brain.
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course the student is expected to be able to:
1. Integrate modern neuroscience perspectives into psychiatric formulation, diagnosis and treatment planning.
2. Describe the differences between a diagnostic system based on phenomenology (DSM) and one based on neurobiology, and the strengths and limitations of each.
3. Practice translating cutting-edge neuroscience into narratives that can be used to explain psychiatric illnesses to patients, families, and the public.
Information, skills, behaviors, or perspectives students will acquire through attendance and participation.
1. Psychiatric neuroscience is approachable and can be made accessible to patients and families.
2. Neuroscience perspectives complement (and do not contradict) other rich traditions in psychiatric formulation, such as psychotherapeutic, social, and cultural perspectives.
3. Essential narratives from cutting-edge neuroscience can be distilled and applied to patient care
Outcomes or actions students can expect to demonstrate as a result of the educational experiences.
1. Students will become familiar with the neuroscience of common psychiatric disorders.
2. Students will gain exposure to methods for distilling narratives from scientific articles for use with patients, families and broader audiences.
3. Students will practice developing their own narratives for integrating modern neuroscience into mental health care and psycho-education.
Learning objectives that relate to these outcomes and that reflect the content of the course.
1. Integrate modern neuroscience perspectives into psychiatric formulation, diagnosis and treatment planning.
2. Describe the differences between a diagnostic system based on phenomenology (DSM) and one based on neurobiology, and the strengths and limitations of each.
3. Translate a cutting-edge neuroscience topic into a narrative that can be used to explain psychiatric illnesses to patients, families, and/or the public
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS:
- Students will review self-study resources, primarily from the National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative, which include educational videos, podcasts, e-learning modules, and Biological Psychiatry Clinical Commentaries (a series of peer-review published articles which use a narrative format to teach one aspect of psychiatric neuroscience). Students will be given formative questions targeting each day of self-study, and will submit responses for review to the course director.
- Each day students work in small groups through an interactive, group-learning activity. This can be accomplished via virtual or in-person meetings. Faculty facilitation is available during small group activities as needed.
- Students participate in an asynchronous discussion board via Slack with faculty facilitation. Additional faculty supervision can be arranged on an as-needed basis.
ASSESSMENT:
Students are given feedback after week one and at the end of the course on their responses to daily assessment questions, participation in the online Slack discussion board, and participation in the live small group activities.
Administrative Information Heading link
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Program Number
ELEC 464
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Program Contacts
Program Director: Joey Cooper, MD
Coordinator: Graciela Bernal
Email: bernal@uic.edu
Duration: 2 Weeks -
Program Information
Min/Max Students Accepted: 5/50
Lectures/Conferences/Faculty Contact: 2 hours faculty conference/ 5 hours small group work
Independent Study: 28 hours
Total Hours /Week: 35 (20 hours self-study, 10 hours in small groups, 5 hours discussion)