Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2018 Mar 19;373(1742). doi: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0022.
The science of mental life is critical for understanding both how we function, and impairments in our functioning. However, understanding the causal mechanisms underlying mental health disorders and developing new treatments are challenges too great to be solved by any individual approach. There is a growing awareness that translational research-from laboratory to patient and back again to animal models-will be critical for the improved understanding and treatment of mental health disorders. The motivation and intention to pursue translational approaches is therefore strong in mental health research, but critically, opportunities for interaction between basic scientists and clinicians are relatively limited, and vary depending on the institution in which researchers are working. This has promoted the development of a 'culture gap' between basic and clinical scientists that limits interaction and sharing of knowledge. Here, we provide 14 examples of contemporary translational research and call for an increased collaborative approach to mental health research that spans clinical diagnoses, levels of analysis and bridges between basic to clinical mental health sciences, including, but not limited to, psychology and neuroscience. What is needed is an inclusive and integrated approach, bringing together scientists working at all levels of enquiry with clinicians providing insights on what works (and what does not). To stimulate the much-needed innovation in therapeutic techniques, an analysis of component parts is critical. Our approach suggests simplifying complex behaviours into distinct psychological components. Asking collaboratively driven scientific questions about dysfunction will also benefit our fundamental understanding of mental life.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Of mice and mental health: facilitating dialogue between basic and clinical neuroscientists'.
精神生活科学对于理解我们的功能以及功能障碍至关重要。然而，了解精神健康障碍的因果机制并开发新的治疗方法是任何单一方法都无法解决的巨大挑战。人们越来越意识到，从实验室到患者，再到动物模型的转化研究对于改善对精神健康障碍的理解和治疗至关重要。因此，在精神健康研究中，人们强烈希望采用转化方法，但关键是，基础科学家和临床医生之间相互作用的机会相对有限，并且因研究人员所在的机构而异。这促进了基础和临床科学家之间“文化鸿沟”的发展，限制了知识的交流和共享。在这里，我们提供了 14 个当代转化研究的例子，并呼吁加强精神健康研究的合作方法，跨越临床诊断、分析水平以及基础到临床精神健康科学之间的桥梁，包括但不限于心理学和神经科学。需要的是一种包容和综合的方法，将在各个研究层面工作的科学家与提供有效方法（和无效方法）见解的临床医生结合起来。为了激发治疗技术急需的创新，对组成部分进行分析至关重要。我们的方法建议将复杂的行为简化为不同的心理成分。关于功能障碍的协作驱动的科学问题也将有助于我们对精神生活的基本理解。本文是关于“老鼠与精神健康：促进基础和临床神经科学家之间的对话”的讨论会议议题的一部分。
