The Unwell Brain: Understanding the Psychobiology of Mental Health

by F. Scott Kraly

Overview

Uncovering the link between our brains and our behavior.

“What is going on in the brain of a person suffering a debilitating psychological disorder?” So begins Scott Kraly’s explanation of how brain chemistry affects behavior. While we continue to learn about the complexities of neurobiology, and our “quick fix” drug therapy mentality continues to gain popularity, the brain remains a largely uncharted frontier, where questions outnumber answers. But Kraly effectively demystifies the field of neuroscience, offering a brisk, digestible narrative of how malfunctioning neurons and neurochemicals can result in psychological disorders, and, in turn, how pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy can help repair various mental health disorders.

Also available in hardcover as Brain Science and Psychological Disorders: New Perspectives on Psychotherapeutic Treatment. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393705966
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	03/30/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

F. Scott Kraly, PhD, is Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Colgate University. He earned his doctorate at The Johns Hopkins University, was research fellow in Psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College, and now teaches psychopharmacology and behavioral neuroscience, having served as Chairperson of Psychology, Coordinator of Neuroscience, and Director of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Colgate. He is the author of Brain Science and Psychological Disorders (Norton, 2006), and has published articles in Nature, Psychological Review, Alcohol, Appetite, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, American Journal of Physiology, and elsewhere.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface xi

Introduction 1

Part I Treatment of Behavioral and Brain Disorders 5

1 How Do Disorders Develop? 7

2 What Treatments Are Likely to Be Effective? 11

3 Integration of Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy 17

4 Brain Theories of Behavioral Disorders 23

Annotated Bibliography for Part I 26

Part II Fundamental Principles of the Brain and Behavior 29

5 Organizational Aspects of the Brain Relevant to Psychology and Behavior 31

6 Neuronal Processes Relevant to Psychology and Behavior 49

7 Discovering the Relation between Brain and Behavior 65

8 Principles of Pharmacology Relevant to Pharmacotherapy 75

Annotated Bibliography for Part II 84

Part III Dysfunctional Behaviors and Brain Processes 87

9 Depression and Mania 89

10 Anxiety Disorders 107

11 Substance Use Disorders 119

12 Overeating 135

13 Bulimia and Anorexia 147

14 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 157

15 Schizophrenia 163

Annotated Bibliography for Part III 170

Part IV Concluding Perspective 173

16 Probing a Frontier 175

References 185

Index 195

Editorial Reviews

"[V]ery well written, very well researched and gives a nicely balanced account of the pros and cons of treating mental illness with the modalities of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy."

Metapsychology Online Reviews

"Kraly succeeds in demystifying the field of neuroscience….making it equally accessible to both professionals and general-interest audiences eager to learn fundamental principles of brain organization."

USABP Journal

"[A]n engagingly written explanation about what contemporary neuroscience has to say about how the brain shapes behavior, and the practical implications for treatment of several behavior disorders."

Cleveland Psychological Association Announcer