Posted by SLS on May 10, 2008, at 5:20:04
In reply to Re: Neurotransmitter board, posted by Dr. Bob on May 10, 2008, at 4:02:51
> > The "Neurotransmitter" board is a failure, both in concept and in practice.
>
> I'll take a look. In what way do you think it's been a failure in practice?First of all, it is not my nature to relish the identification of "failure". On the contrary. Perhaps I could have used the phrase "minimally effective", but where is the drama in that? :-)
If the neurotransmitter board was meant to be the forum dedicated to polypharmacy, it should be more active than the monotherapy "Medication" board. It is not. I believe more people are on multiple drugs than on a single drug. I don't think this separation makes for an integrated approach to treatment. There is also the difficulty of separating out a post that refers to biological treatments and the mechanisms of the drugs used for those treatments. They should remain on the Medication board as they are being discussed in the arena of clinical application. I think there should be "one stop shopping" for clinical information and discussion.
I don't know if a "Neuroscience" board would be active enough to warrant its continuation. However, that would not be an argument in favor of the status quo. There are people who like to talk about pure research in the field of biological psychiatry and the investigations and findings of neuroscience. There may be no proven clinical application of the data available, but you never know when an act of brilliance will arise out of a conversation occurring in a think-tank. I think of a Neuroscience board as a fun think-tank. In any event, I believe that the term "Neurotransmitters" is too limiting. Brain circuitry is just as important as neurotransmission, and, ultimately leads to the differential effects of individual drugs. In theory, every drug has a biological receptor. However, we are not studying acromegaly. We are studying mental illness. How would the deterioration of myelin, or the build up of senile plaques or the progress of Parkinson's be explained exclusively through the study of neurotransmitters? In depressive disorders, I don't think we can look to neurotransmitters to explain the reduction of volume of the hippocampus. It is probably more an atrophy occurring from disuse, as the afferent circuits no longer stimulate activity there. The previous statement would be a candidate for a Neuroscience board, but not a Neurotransmitter board.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:828278
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20080424/msgs/828312.html