Revolutionary advances in neuroimaging techniques such as MRI and PET scans have paved the way for new understanding of neuron behavior. Advances in neuropharmacology have brought about more targeted therapies. To achieve this goal, Tollefson said, we need to improve the health care system model by increasing awareness and intervention. Tollefson said that nearly two-thirds of patients with brain disorders never seek treatment due to the stigma associated with mental disorders. These are not disorders of mental or spiritual weakness, he said, but biological disorders.
Early intervention is seminal to success in treatment.
Tollefson called for new strategies to enhance drug discovery. Recent advances in combinatorial chemistry, molecular biology and gene sequencing, he said, are already paving the way for better treatments. L. Paulette Hale, Ph.D., discussed unmet medical needs in cancer patients. Hale is the Regional Assistant Medical Director in Oncology at Ortho Biotech. Her discussion focused on the use of erythropoietin in the treatment of patients.