Blog posts tagged DSM-IV

We've been on a blogging hiatus, working on a new version of Mindsite that will ship shortly - sorry for the blogging interruption and stay tuned for our new release. In the mean time, it was tough to pass up writing a quick note on a fascinating article that just came out by Benedict Carey at the NY Times on a new theory about the mind as it relates to our genes.

Their idea is, in broad outline, straightforward. Dr. Crespi and Dr. Badcock propose that an evolutionary tug of war between genes from the father’s sperm and the mother’s egg can, in effect, tip brain development in one of two ways. A strong bias toward the father pushes a developing brain along the autistic spectrum, toward a fascination with objects, patterns, mechanical systems, at the expense of social development. A bias toward the mother moves the growing brain along what the researchers call the psychotic spectrum, toward hypersensitivity to mood, their own and others’. This, according to the theory, increases a child’s risk of developing schizophrenia later on, as well as mood problems like bipolar disorder and depression.

In short: autism and schizophrenia represent opposite ends of a spectrum that includes most, if not all, psychiatric and developmental brain disorders. The theory has no use for psychiatry’s many separate categories for disorders, and it would give genetic findings an entirely new dimension.

While these theories will undoubtedly remain highly controversial for some time, they are a fascinating new lens to view the topology of mental health disorders currently detailed in the DSM-IV. You can read the full DSM-IV text at Mindsite on Autism as well as Schizophrenia. The implication that all human mental health can be characterized as a continuum of predisposition between these two conditions is definitely very 'out of the box' thinking; only time will tell if there is an evidence base to support these assertions.

Has anyone seen The Dark Knight? We were thinking of checking it out this week. Looks like a solid review on Rotten Tomatoes. Interesting excerpt including DSM-IV references from another review on TimeOut Chicago:

Nolan’s sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins internalizes the schism between serious aims and summer-movie duties. The problem isn’t the admittedly jaw-dropping Sturm und Drang—this is Batman, not Bergman—but how the pummeling action rarely informs the psychological angst. Still wrestling with a DSM-IV’s worth of disorders, the Caped Crusader (Bale) now has to contend with Harvey Dent (Eckhart), a district attorney with a transformative face-lift coming his way, and the Joker (Ledger). Thankfully, an origin story isn’t offered for the grinning archnemesis; he simply appears like the Ebola virus, armed with an appetite for destruction and John Wayne Gacy’s makeup manual. What the late actor accomplishes with little more than a nurse uniform and a Groucho Marx waddle makes the various set pieces—never mind Bale’s raspy, remote characterization—pale in comparison.

The mental health space is a vast area of subject matter, often with controversial boundaries surrounding what constitutes a mental health issue or problem. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal written by Melinda Beck takes on the subject of alcohol consumption post New Years. Melinda summarizes the DSM-IV definition of alcohol abuse and dependence below.

The authoritative American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, separates alcohol abuse from alcohol dependence, based partly on the problems the drinking causes. You qualify for a diagnosis of "abuse" if you've done any one of these in the past year: drunk alcohol in hazardous situations, like driving; kept drinking despite social or interpersonal problems; had legal problems related to alcohol or failed to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home because of drinking.

You've moved on to "dependence" if you've done any three of these seven: drunk more or longer than you intended; been unable to cut down or stop; needed more alcohol to get the same effect; had withdrawal symptoms without it; spent more time drinking or recovering; neglected other activities or continued to drink despite psychological or physical problems.

If you are interested in checking out more substance abuse related content in the DSM-IV, you can do so with the full text from Mindsite on dependence as well as abuse. Alcohol specific sections are found here.