Thomas A. Ban: Psychopharmacology and the Classification of Functional Psychoses In Neuropsychopharmacology in Historical Perspective Education in the Field in the Post Neuropsychopharmacology Era

Delcir da Costa’s comment on collating document

       Firstly, I congratulate you for your important contribution to psychiatry with “Psychopharmacology and Classification of Functional Psychosis.”

       I think and agree with you that the diagnosis of Functional Psychoses involves many manifestations in several psychiatric disorders. At the same time, discovery of the biological aspects for psychiatric disorders has been hampered by a lack of operational definition for mental disorders.
       The contribution of the DSM-III (APA 1980) with its multi-axial diagnostic proposal is important but does not satisfy all criteria for a sure diagnosis. The empirical and nosological criteria are well defined while experimental methods such as biological markers to solve the problem in psychiatric diagnosis are so far absent. The response to neuropsychopharmacological treatment in the past can be applicative in the future with new psychopharmacology agents such as psychedelics, ketamine, anticonvulsants and cannabis as a way forward in diagnostic investigations. Taking into consideration your brilliant past review of diagnostic psychiatry, only the future will offer new approaches.

       I’m looking forward to it.

       Research and investigations need doubt; if there is doubt, research is appropriate.

Reference:

APA. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd Edition) (DSM-III). American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC; 1980.

July 22, 2021