neuropsychiatry

neuropsychiatry, area of science and medicine focused on the integrated study of psychiatric and neurological conditions and on the treatment of individuals with neurologically based disorders. In science, neuropsychiatry supports the field of neuroscience and is used to better understand the neurological underpinnings of psychiatric and neurologic disorders and to examine the treatment and care of persons with neurological conditions, particularly those that affect behaviour. In medicine, neuropsychiatry forms part of a subspecialty known as behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry. In order to practice neuropsychiatry clinically, physicians must receive specialized training and clinical experience. By contrast, scientists whose research is neuropsychiatric in nature do not require training in clinical neuropsychiatry.

The tools of clinical neuropsychiatry

In the process of treating psychiatric and neurological symptoms, neuropsychiatrists attempt to make use of research in integrative neuropsychiatry and neuroscience. The research areas drawn from include neuropsychopharmacology, electroencephalography, clinical neurogenetics, neural network theory, medical informatics, and neuroimaging, which is concerned with the development and advancement of techniques such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance angiography, diffusion tensor imaging, and positron-emission tomography (PET). To employ these tools clinically, the neuropsychiatrist may consult with established practitioners, such as neuroradiologists and electrophysiologists. But because the neuropsychiatrist knows the larger history and psychosocial context of the patient and has generally spent more time with the patient in the clinic, it becomes his or her responsibility to make optimal use of this information in guiding the overall treatment plan.

Clinical conditions addressed in neuropsychiatry

The following are some examples of clinical problems that might be managed by a neuropsychiatrist: (1) a patient with Parkinson disease who experiences delusions and hallucinations on high doses of dopamine-enhancing medications, (2) a patient with Huntington disease who exhibits violent behaviour and personality changes, (3) a developmentally disabled patient who exhibits self-injurious behaviour, (4) a dementia patient who causes behavioral and social disruptions, (5) a postoperative neurosurgical patient with delirium and speech impairment, (6) a seizure patient with psychosis or depression, (7) a patient with recurrent seizures, (8) a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome and decreased cognitive function, (9) a patient with a traumatic brain syndrome, unstable mood, and cognitive impairments, (10) a post-stroke patient with apathy, (11) a patient with both schizophrenia and dementia, and (12) a patient with Tourette syndrome and severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Neuropsychiatry has contributed significantly to the management of violent patients with known brain disease. Neuropsychiatrists have been active in treating patients who exhibit patterns of violence related to different types of brain lesions. These include (1) violence related to hypomanic or manic behaviour after right parietal stroke, (2) impulsive aggression in the setting of congenital brain abnormality or diencephalic injury, (3) reflexive aggression to transient environmental stimuli in patients with dementia, (4) violence emanating from a dysexecutive syndrome (impairment in executive functioning, such as the ability to plan and organize or to manage time) due to prefrontal cortical disease, and (5) violence in childhood abuse victims who have experienced traumatic brain injury. Carefully crafted combinations of drugs (e.g., beta-blockers, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and psychostimulants) have been used to improve brain function in these patients. Decreasing the frequency and intensity of violent behaviour is essential to effective nursing care and rehabilitation as well as to outpatient management.