Kostas N. Fountoulakis – författare

The book provides a comprehensive reference on the neurobiological understanding of behaviour, how behaviour is regulated by the brain, and how such behaviours in turn influence the brain.

The target audience includes psychiatrists, neurologists, nurses, psychologists and all researchers and advanced students in behavioural, social and developmental neuroscience, as well as clinical neuroscientists. 

This book constitutes the end result of 20 years-long effort that goes beyond a Psychiatrist’s standard clinical training and education, even that of a Psychiatrist that follows an academic career. Trying to explain how the human mind works is hard and the heterogeneity of the audience make the attempt even more difficult. There is a conceptual difference between the words ‘brain’ and ‘mind’and this makes the effort even more difficult since the present book tries to preserve the strict scientific approach concerning all the topics discussed.

The work elaborates and tries to answer questions frequently phrased by audiences in teaching classes and in conferences and does not avoid any question. In order to achieve this goal, it is structured in chapters all the way from the molecule and the cell to consciousness and free will. 

The book targets mainly the mental health care professionals as an audience, and to a lesser extend the other health professionals. Itis written according to the author’s view concerning the training and educational needs of Psychiatrists and Psychologists and to a lesser degree of Neurologists and Neuroscientists in general.

This book is the newest edition on the series ‘advances in psychiatry’. The previous 3 volumes can be found online at http://www.wpanet.org/detail.php?section_id=10&content_id=660 . They were highly successful in covering a broad area of psychiatry from different perspectives and angles and by reflecting both specialized but also international and global approaches. This series have guaranteed quality therefore can be used by different scientific groups for teaching and learning and also as a means for fast dissemination of advanced research and transformation of research findings into the everyday clinical practice. 

This book examines in detail the diagnostic approach to manic depressive (bipolar) illness, with special reference to the borderline zones with unipolar depression and schizoaffective disorder. Among other diagnostic issues considered are mixed episodes (often misdiagnosed by psychiatrists), rapid cycling, and the confusion with personality disorders. Within the context of diagnosis and understanding of the dynamics of bipolar disorder, temperament, character, and personality are all extensively discussed. Neurocognitive deficit and disability are covered, as are elements of evolutionary biology and behavior. With regard to treatment, the major focus is on evidence-based therapy, with reference to the results of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses; in addition, contemporary guidelines and future trends are examined. Careful consideration is also given to the psychosocial treatment approach and issues relating to societal and economic costs and burdens.