Looking Inside the Disordered Brain

For decades, research on human psychopathology has focused on understanding specific mental disorders, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a rigid classification system that assumes each disorder is distinct and relatively homogenous. Research has demonstrated, however, that many disorders share common etiological factors, including those of a biological nature, and that many individual disorders in the DSM are actually quite heterogeneous. The National Institute of Mental Health has supported this new way of thinking about mental illness in adopting its Research Domain Criteria project that supports a bottom-up approach, basing research on psychopathology on what is known about the brain. Hariri has now given students a textbook that exemplifies this new way of thinking about psychopathology and its biological basis. Rather than centering the book’s chapters on specific mental illnesses, Hariri instead focuses his chapters on three core neural circuits (corticolimbic, corticostriatal, and corticohippocampal), employing a “circuit-based approach to [understand] how the brain creates ordered perceptions of our world and translates these perceptions into ordered behaviors.” Each circuit is the focus of three chapters: 1) neuroanatomy of the circuit; 2) the result of normal circuit function; and 3) the result of circuit dysfunction. The anatomy chapters are complex and better suited for students with prior knowledge of neurobiology. For example, Hariri discusses key amgydalar nuclei, which are usually ignored by most introductory texts but are essential for a thorough understanding of corticolimbic influence on psychopathology. The chapters on circuit function/dysfunction are engaging and discuss both seminal and current research. Most research presented is based on fMRI, though alternative research strategies, including PET, TMS, and studies in animal models, are discussed when appropriate. The figures convey experimental data in a clear and informative manner that reinforces the information presented in the text. The chapters on circuit dysfunction are subdivided into the effects of circuit hypoand hyperactivity and how these effects contribute to clinical psychopathologies. The author employs a number of helpful strategies in order to assist the student in digesting the often difficult material. For example, Hariri writes in a clear narrative style that is easy to follow even when dense with information, and relatable, real-world examples are provided when describing complex topics (e.g., using a metaphor including hunger and golden arches in discussing the shift in dopamine firing to reward versus cue over time). Additionally, a key can be found at the bottom of each page that defines each abbreviation used on that page, which is a useful tool for students less familiar with neurobiology shorthand. Hariri sometimes interjects humor and informality in the text, which often appear in the section subheadings (e.g., “Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones, and Beethoven Walk into a Bar…”). Looking Inside the Disordered Brain is a novel and important contribution to the textbook arena. Suited best for quite advanced undergraduates or graduate students, this text provides an excellent and detailed overview of how dysfunction in key circuits in the brain contributes to psychopathology and mental illness.