Michael Berk – författare

This book presents a thorough and critical review of current knowledge on the role of immunology in major psychiatric disorders and its potential applications. The opening chapters offer general information on the immune influence of the brain to provide readers with a better understanding of the end of immune privilege. The book then examines possible underlying mechanisms leading to psychiatric disorders, from early infections to pro-inflammatory markers, stress, and immune genetic background, linking etiology and psychiatry. The third section describes each disorder (ie autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression…) with an overview of underlying immune dysfunctions. Lastly, the authors discuss the innovative immune-therapies that may result from the discovery of immune system biomarkers and their associated mechanisms. A better understanding of the role of the immune system in psychiatric disorders makes it possible to identify stratification biomarkers, to explain underlying mechanisms, and to develop innovative, efficient, targeted treatment strategies and management. As such, the book is of value to clinicians, mental health professionals, mental health researchers, immunologists, industry practitioners, and various stakeholders in the mental health field.

The book presents the session wise details of ATMAN psychological treatment for managing self-harm in youth in low- and middle- income countries. Based on global evidence, ATMAN treatment has been designed using a systematic, sequential approach and has been co-designed by the self-harm patients and mental health professionals in Mumbai, India. The word ATMAN in Sanskrit refers to the “eternal self’ that functions in harmony with the Universe.

Suicide is a leading cause of premature mortality across the world. Three quarters of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Most of the psychotherapies available to reduce the recurrence of self-harm have been developed and tested in high-income countries. Far less attention has been given to develop and evaluate context specific psychotherapeutic programmes for self-harm in low- and middle income countries.

The book includes contextually appropriate treatment elements; age appropriate and culturally relevant case vignettes and scripts; and is easy to understand for non-specialist providers. It is based on problem solving therapy integrated with emotion regulation and social network strengthening skills. Available treatments for self-harm are sub-optimal globally and this book might become an extremely useful resource for mental health professionals in high-income countries due to its easy to use format, brief structure, and utility for culturally diverse populations.

From the systems perspective, the possibility of scaling it up and training non-specialist counsellors to deliver this treatment in the community setting makes Managing Self-Harm Using Psychological Treatment ATMAN a very useful addition to the limited resources available to address the global health challenge of self-harm.

Bipolar disorder is a complex disease and requires specialized care for its assessment and effective treatment. It has a worldwide prevalence of about 2% and is among the top 10 leading causes of disability adjusted life years in young adults. Additionally, people with bipolar disorder die around 10 years earlier, and the lifetime risk of suicide is estimated to be at least 20 times that of the general population. Although these findings illustrate the severity and complexity of this illness, we are living exciting times in the field of bipolar disorder for several reasons.

Over the last 20 years, novel and evidence based pharmacological and psychosocial strategies have been added to the treatment of bipolar disorder. Several studies addressed the natural history of the disease and showed that the course of bipolar disorder is heterogeneous but, on average, the risk of recurrence increases with the number of previous episodes. Neuroscience has shed light on the molecular underpinnings of the potential decline in cognition and physical health that takes place in some people with bipolar disorder. Some studies added weight to the theory that immune activation is a key component in driving the changes that take place in the brain and its periphery. Lastly, new technologies and lifestyle approaches are gaining tracking in the field of bipolar disorder. Smartphone apps and sensors have promise to provide the means to digital interventions. Moreover, machine learning algorithms and big data have the potential to pave the way to predictive psychiatry, an exciting new field, where the use of large data sets may allow us to predict responses and clinical outcomes, such as suicide attempts.

The book is intended for psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. Written by experts, the 41 chapters are divided in six sections to discuss: The natural history of bipolar disorder; Biological underpinnings; Pharmacological treatment; Psychosocial interventions; Special populations; and New approaches to diagnosis and intervention. It will also discuss the use of antipsychotics and lithium as disease modifying agents, and clinical progression and neuroprogression concepts.

Bipolar Disorder - An Evidence-Based Clinical Guide will arm clinicians and researchers with the latest findings, as well as refine the necessary skills to provide the best clinical care.

Focusing on the practical use of N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) in medicine, this book provides a comprehensive review of the basic biological and clinical studies documenting its benefits in treating medical disease. NAC is perhaps best known as an antidote for acetaminophen, but its therapeutic effect in a wide range of medical diseases has recently been realized. In addition to its well recognized use in radiological contrast prophylaxis for renal disease and pulmonary disorders, studies have suggested significant promise in psychiatric and neurological disorders such as addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, ataxia, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, epilepsy, neuropathy, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury and trichotillomania in addition to promising studies in audiology, cardiology, exercise physiology, gastroenterology, hematology, infectious disease, infertility and ophthalmology. Given the promising studies for a wide range of medical conditions, coupled with a excellent safety profile, the potential for NAC in the treatment of human disease appears considerable.

Dr Leonore A Herzenberg from Stanford University, a pioneer of redox physiology and the use of NAC, provides a succinct history of the development of the therapeutic use of NAC for medical disease. This is followed by a series of basic science chapters outlining the role of NAC in important physiological processes, including modulation of dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitter systems, redox and mitochondrial metabolism, apoptosis and inflammation.

The last section of the book is dedicated to clinically oriented chapters that comprehensively review the literature on medical disorders in which NAC has been found to be effective, including toxicity and cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, psychiatric, pulmonary and renal disorders. Each chapter reviews the theoretical biological mechanisms of NAC for the specific diseases reviewed, rates the clinical studies using a standardized criteria in order to provide an objective level of evidence and grade of recommendation for the use of NAC for specific medical conditions and outlines the ongoing clinical trials examining NAC for the treatment of specific diseases. Final chapters review the clinical evidence verifying that specific theoretical biological mechanisms are actually being targeted by NAC in medical disease. Studies on the pharmacology, formulation and potential adverse effects of NAC are also reviewed. A final chapter synthesizes the clinical studies to suggest that the effectiveness of NAC may signal a new basic physiological disorder, glutathione deficiency, which may be an important pathophysiological mechanism of many diseases.