Your Brain Is More Than a Bag of Chemicals

Explore neurobiologist David Anderson's groundbreaking research challenging traditional views on psychiatric disorders in this 15-minute TED talk. Delve into the emerging perspective that mental illnesses are disorders of emotion circuit function rather than simple chemical imbalances. Learn how Anderson uses fruit flies to study emotion and mood-like states, conducting genetic screens and manipulating dopamine receptors to understand hyperactivity and learning disabilities. Discover the potential for developing targeted psychiatric medications that could work more effectively with fewer side effects by focusing on specific neural circuits. Gain insights into the complex workings of the brain and the future of psychiatric treatment through this engaging and informative presentation.

Intro
TRADITIONAL VIEW: PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS ARE CAUSED BY CHEMICAL IMBALANCES IN THE BRAIN
EMERGING VIEW: PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESSES ARE DISORDERS OF EMOTION CIRCUIT FUNCTION
MODEL ORGANISMS ALLOW GENETIC DISSECTION OF NEURAL CIRCUITS
CAN FRUIT FLIES BE USED TO STUDY EMOTION OR MOOD-LIKE STATES?
PERSISTENT HYPERACTIVITY IN THE "PUFF-O-MAT" IN DROSOPHILA
UNBIASED GENETIC SCREEN FOR MUTANT FLIES SHOWING EXAGGERATED PUFF RESPONSE
DOPAMINE IS PRESENT IN FLY AND HUMAN BRAINS
HYPERACTIVE FLIES?
DOPAMINE RECEPTOR MUTANT FLIES HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY
LEARNING DISABILITIES AND HYPERACTIVITY IN ADHD: CAUSE OR EFFECT??
RESTORING DopR TO DIFFERENT BRAIN REGIONS IN MUTANT FLIES
SEPARABLE RESCUE OF HYPERACTIVITY AND LEARNING DEFICIT IN DIFFERENT CIRCUITS
THE FUTURE: TARGETING DRUGS TO DISORDER-SPECIFIC CIRCUITS?