Mental health and brain-related disorders have long been thought to be biologically based. Though many of those disorders are triggered by certain life-experiences, their effects and predispositions are still rooted in physical structures within the brain and the neurons that make up the brain. It is for these reasons that neuroscience has recently increased in popularity as a method of treating and understanding such disorders.
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the brain and nerves. It uses techniques such as microscopy, CT scans, PET scans, and fMRI to examine physical properties and structures of the nervous system.
One mental health issues that are extensively examined by neuroscientists is Alzheimer’s Disease. This debilitating disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, meaning that it results in the destruction of neurons and loss of nervous tissue. Neuroscientists have applied biological techniques to this disease in order to study it and find out how it works and, more importantly, how to stop it. After years of research, neuroscientists have determined several commonalities in the brains of individuals with this disorder. First of all, neurons of Alzheimer’s patients contain an excess amount of a protein called Amyloid-42. Amyloid proteins are normal in the brain and are harmless if present in the proper form. In Alzheimer’s patients, however, these proteins appear in a form called “42” (based on the length of the protein) which is toxin. These Amyloid-42 proteins clump together in plaques and are visible in a microscope.
Also, the cytoskeleton of neurons in Alzheimers patients is also irregular. They have a deformity where the fibers that make up the axon (the long, wire-like structure of the neuron) become tangled. These tangles interfere with the transmission of signals and are thought to be one of the reasons for the confusion, memory loss, and motor disabilities that accompany this disease.
Now that neuroscience has uncovered these microscopic features of Alzheimer’s disease, it is possible to begin development of drugs and other therapies to counteract or prevent these things from happening. It is the hope that someday neuroscience will lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
As you can see, neuroscience can (and already has) played a massive role in mental health. It can help explain the causes of certain mental disorders and attempt to develop treatments. This fascinating branch of science will someday be able to provide effective treatments for all sorts of brain-related diseases and other mental health concerns.
