Psychiatry and neuroscience.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the extent to which neuroscience accounts for mental disorders.


METHODS
Relevant literature on this problem was selectively reviewed.


RESULTS
Thus far, neuroscience research has contributed more to the understanding of the brain than to determining the causes of mental disorders. Its model is more appropriate to severe than to common mental disorders. A reductionistic approach cannot account for emergent phenomena occurring at the level of the mind.


CONCLUSIONS
Mental disorders cannot be reduced to abnormalities in neuronal activity; psychiatric symptoms need to be understood at multiple levels.
Paris
Joel
J
McGill University, Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, Montreal, Quebec. joel.paris@mcgill.ca
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000639:trends*; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D011599:Psychopathology