Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Genetic treatments provide personalized medicine."

Noting that medication and psychotherapy are generally used together in the initial stage of psychiatric disorders, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan expressed that "The role of the brain is critical in treatment. Drug treatment is the gold standard because psychiatric disorders cause disorders in the electrical and chemical communication of the brain."

Stating that the personalization of psychiatric treatments will play an important role in achieving more effective and safe results, Prof. Tarhan said that "Genetic treatments provide personalized treatment. It may be important to perform genetic evaluations, especially in cases where improvement cannot be achieved."

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated current approaches in psychiatric diagnosis and treatment methods.

Psychiatric illness is often called "disorders"...

Reminding that classical diagnostic methods were used in psychiatry diagnosis and treatment methods, especially in diagnosis, Prof. Tarhan noted that in these methods, the person is examined and diagnosed according to the symptoms and checklists, and the reason why psychiatric illness is generally called "disorders" is that biological evidence and their counterparts in the brain have not been fully confirmed. Stating that although there is a pathology in the brain, this pathology cannot be fully defined as a disease and therefore the term "disorder" is used, Prof. Tarhan said that "For example, terms such as depressive disorder, schizophrenic disorder and bipolar disorder are used in this way. Neuropathological evidence had to be present to identify a condition as a disease. However, in recent years, laboratory evidence has increased. Thanks to neuroimaging, neurobiological and neurophysiological studies, brain functions have been measured and the causality link between disorders has been revealed. Addiction is called ‘reward failure syndrome’, which is caused by an inadequate functioning of the reward area of the brain. Depression, on the other hand, can be defined as the asymmetrical functioning of the frontal region of the brain and the incompatible functioning of the pleasure and depression areas. In the future, diagnoses based on connectivity disorders of certain brain regions will be able to be made. "But right now, the gold standard diagnostic method is clinical examination, and this examination is supported by laboratory tests and brain imaging."

Medication and psychotherapy are the main treatment methods

Noting that medication and psychotherapy are generally used together in the initial stage of psychiatric disorders in the treatment plan, Prof. Tarhan said that psychiatric disorders are divided into two main groups as neurotic group and psychotic group, that patients in the neurotic group are people who are aware of their illness and come to treatment voluntarily, and that they can generally be cured with outpatient treatment as long as they do not carry serious risks such as suicidal ideation. Tarhan expressed that it is the main treatment method for patients.

Drug therapy aims to regulate the flow of signals and energy

Explaining that the patients in the psychotic group are people who do not accept their disorder and are not aware that they are sick, and that the treatment plan of patients in this condition, which is called psychosis, is different, Prof. Tarhan stated that "The role of the brain is critical in treatment. Since psychiatric disorders cause disorders in the electrical and chemical communication of the brain, drug treatment is the gold standard. In psychiatric disorders, disruptions occur in the flow of energy between certain areas of the brain. It is important to detect these deteriorations and make a treatment plan accordingly. Drug therapy aims to regulate this flow of signals and energy. Psychotherapy also has a biochemical counterpart in the brain and is therefore used as an effective treatment method in conjunction with drug therapy."

There is an increase in diseases!

Pointing out that low serotonin levels in the brain are associated with psychiatric disorders such as depression and suicide, Prof. Tarhan stated that "Today, drugs that increase serotonin are widely used in the treatment of depression and other psychiatric diseases." Stating that both diagnosis and treatment have become easier; however, there is also an increase in diseases.” Prof. Tarhan also stated that "We are now getting results in a few months in the treatment of the disease, which we previously tried for a year and two years."

Brain functions are examined with brain imaging techniques

Prof. Tarhan expressed that "By examining brain functions with brain imaging techniques, differences in a person's brain activity and chemical conduction disorders can be determined. This makes a great progress in understanding the biological origins of psychiatric disorders.” Tarhan also explained that “Such findings show that the disease occurs outside the will or control of the person and is caused by disorders that occur in certain regions of the brain. To tell someone to ‘look alive' or ‘do not overthink it’ in relation to depression or other psychiatric disorders would be to ignore disturbances in their brain chemistry or function." Tarhan emphasized that such situations may be too complex to be overcome by will or control on their own, therefore, it is important to create appropriate treatment plans by understanding the biological and chemical condition of the individual in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Not being understood contributes to the pain...

Noting that people with psychiatric disorders suffer and not being understood increases the pain even more, Prof. Tarhan said that "There are patients who cry because the reason is understood. They blame themselves. They say, 'Why am I like this?' However, the serotonin stores in the brain are empty, and the person is exhausted. Therefore, it is involuntary."

With newly developed technologies, it is becoming possible to repair disrupted networks in the brain

Prof. Tarhan said that "With newly developing technologies, it is possible to repair and correct the damaged networks in the brain with methods such as brain modulation treatments. For example, magnetic stimulation therapy can correct receptors and open ion channels by delivering magnetic impulses to specific areas in the brain. This can enable drugs to reach the brain better and support the treatment process." Noting that pharmacogenetic studies determine which drugs may be more effective by looking at the genetic structure of individuals, Prof. Tarhan stated that "Genetic information can help personalized treatment plans to the person and achieve more effective results. In this way, drug doses and duration of treatment can be determined based on the individual genetic profiles of individuals, thus increasing response to treatment and tolerance."

Personalized treatment gives more effective and safe results...

Stating that the personalization of psychiatric treatments will play an important role in achieving more effective and safe results, Prof. Tarhan said that "Genetic treatments provide personalized treatment. Especially in cases where improvement cannot be achieved, genetic evaluations may be important. In both the elderly and children, when there is no response to treatment or when drugs do not work, evaluation of genetic factors can help identify new treatment options." Explaining that the developments in the field of psychiatry and the increase in treatment options in recent years have increased the possibility of recovery of long-term disorders such as schizophrenia, Prof. Tarhan stated that for this reason, it is important for patients not to lose hope and continue treatment, and that psychiatric disorders are a condition that affects not only individuals but also families.

The support and hope by both individuals and families is important...

Stating that in some cases, examining genetic predisposition and evaluating genetic factors in the family can guide the treatment plan and help discover new treatment options, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "The support and hope by both individuals and families are important in the fight against psychiatric diseases." Reminding that there is also a need for studies on applying genetic therapy from one's own stem cells, Prof. Tarhan said that “It is necessary to do something about autisms and that genetic treatments give hope for the coming period. Emphasizing that the relationship between neuroscience and psychiatry is getting stronger, Tarhan stated that the assistants working in the field of psychiatry who study for doctorate enables them to better understand the processes in the brain and the biological basis of psychiatric diseases, and in the light of this information, methods called neuro-navigation have been developed and it is aimed to treat certain regions in the brain by targeting them. Stating that in some treatments, it is aimed to activate the cells by stimulating the energy molecule called adenosine diphosphate in the nerve cells in the brain, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said that the use of some treatments for health and well-being is increasing.

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)