The growing evidence that points to the underlying biological causes of mental illness, such as naturally occurring brain chemicals and structural changes in the brain, has brought a new understanding of why mental illness occurs and how it may be treated. New techniques for neuroimaging and assessment of brain activity, as well as insights into processes of communication within and between brain cells, provide extraordinary methods for examining how the brain functions. As a result, questions once undreamed of are now asked routinely, and the answers likely will be forthcoming in the decade ahead. For example, with the recent initiation of the NIMH-funded Functional Brain Imaging Center at WPIC, we have further strengthened our productive collaborations in neuroimaging with members of the Departments of Radiology and Neurology and the School of Pharmacy. The combined knowledge gained from such studies will help identify patterns of brain functioning and guide future research into the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders.
Developmental neurobiology is another growing area of psychiatric research.
Advances in the neurosciences represent the fusion of an array of scientific approaches for investigating the central nervous system and its relation to behavior. These approaches range from molecular genetic techniques to clinical evaluation of brain processes and metabolism in normal and disordered patients. We are also making tremendous advances in our knowledge of the basic processes and mechanisms of brain cell functioning and nerve cell interactions. Of special interest is early brain development and its relationship to the child' s maturing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capabilities. For example neuropsychologic, oculovestibular, and magnetic resonance imaging instruments allow us to study high-functioning autistic individuals to look at the competing brain localizations hypothesized in autism.