Understanding the psychiatric part of the brain still faces significant challenges, according to neurosurgeon Paulo Niemeyer, director of the State Brain Institute in Rio de Janeiro. In an interview with the program CNN Vital Signs the expert addressed the complex relationship between the brain and conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Niemeyer explained that in cases of psychiatric diseases, the brain usually has a normal look in imaging exams and anatomical studies. “There is a chemical change, which is not noticeable by the exams,” said the neurosurgeon, highlighting the difficulty in visually identifying these conditions.
To illustrate the complexity of the theme, Niemeyer shared an intriguing case of his clinical experience. He reported having removed a tumor from a patient’s frontal lobe. Surprisingly, six months after the procedure, the patient returned with a significant change in his emotional state.
“Dr. Paulo, I was a depressed, I spent childhood, my teens, in a dark room and never had friends,” the patient told the doctor. “And after this surgery, I already got friends, I’m dating.” The neurosurgeon noted that the manipulation of the frontal lobe during surgery apparently broke some poorly functioning circuit, resulting in an unexpected improvement of the patient’s depressive symptoms.
This case, although isolated, suggests the existence of an anatomical substrate in brain regions related to psychiatric conditions. Niemeyer stressed that these conditions are often linked to neurotransmitter imbalances and brain chemistry.
The neurosurgeon concluded by emphasizing that there is still much to be discovered in the area of depression and other psychiatric diseases. The complexity of these conditions, which do not have visible changes in conventional examinations, continues to challenge researchers and clinicals, paving the way for future investigations and advances in the field of neuropsychiatry.
This content was originally published in “Brain Psychiatric Part is misunderstood,” says Neurosurgeon on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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