Beste Christian
Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Faculty of Medicine, University Neuropsychology Center, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2022 Nov 30;16:1054714. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1054714. eCollection 2022.
Cognitive neuroscience comes in many facets, and a particularly large branch of research is conducted in individuals with mental health problems. This article outlines why it is important that cognitive neuroscientists re-shape their role in mental health research and re-define directions of research for the next decades. At present, cognitive neuroscience research in mental health is too firmly rooted in categorial diagnostic definitions of mental health conditions. It is discussed why this hampers a mechanistic understanding of brain functions underlying mental health problems and why this is a problem for replicability in research. A possible solution to these problems is presented. This solution affects the strategy of research questions to be asked, how current trends to increase replicability in research can or cannot be applied in the mental health field and how data are analyzed. Of note, these aspects are not only relevant for the scientific process, but affect the societal view on mental disorders and the position of affected individuals as members of society, as well as the debate on the inclusion of so-called WEIRD and non-WEIRD people in studies. Accordingly, societal and science political aspects of re-defining the role of cognitive neuroscientists in mental health research are elaborated that will be important to shape cognitive neuroscience in mental health for the next decades.
认知神经科学包含多个方面，其中一个特别庞大的研究分支是针对有心理健康问题的个体开展的。本文概述了认知神经科学家重塑其在心理健康研究中的角色以及重新定义未来几十年研究方向的重要性。目前，心理健康领域的认知神经科学研究过于牢固地扎根于心理健康状况的分类诊断定义。文中讨论了为何这会阻碍对心理健康问题背后大脑功能的机制性理解，以及为何这对研究的可重复性而言是个问题。针对这些问题提出了一种可能的解决方案。该方案影响着所要提出的研究问题的策略、当前提高研究可重复性的趋势在心理健康领域能否应用以及如何进行数据分析。值得注意的是，这些方面不仅与科学过程相关，还会影响社会对精神障碍的看法、受影响个体作为社会成员的地位，以及关于在研究中纳入所谓“怪异”和“非怪异”人群的辩论。因此，阐述了重新定义认知神经科学家在心理健康研究中角色的社会和科学政策方面的内容，这对于塑造未来几十年心理健康领域的认知神经科学至关重要。
