Brain Changes in Severe Mental Illnesses: The Impact of Non-pharmacological Interventions
A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatric Diseases".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2025 | Viewed by 184
Special Issue Editors
Interests: neuroimaging; schizophrenia; physical activity; lifestyle interventions; antipsychotics; hallucinations
2. CHU de Caen Normandie, Centre Esquirol, Service de Psychiatrie Adulte, 14000 Caen, France
Interests: severe mental illnesses; physical activity; lifestyle interventions; antipsychotics; neuroimaging
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Background and history of this topic: Severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, or stress-related disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder or prolonged grief disorder), considerably disrupt patients’ functional outcomes, particularly linked to brain changes. Beyond treatments, non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), such as lifestyle interventions, cognitive behavioral therapies, or neuromodulation, are emerging as effective strategies that may increase neuroplasticity. However, the question remains: How do these therapeutic strategies induce brain changes, and how do these changes translate into improved clinical outcomes?
Aim and scope of the Special Issue: This Special Issue aims to compile high-quality research on the impact of NPIs on brain changes linked to severe mental illnesses. We focus on interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (e.g., trauma-focused therapy (TFT), prolonged exposure (PE), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), or mindfulness training (MT)), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or lifestyle interventions such as physical activity (PA). Our objective is to examine how these approaches could modify neural circuits, enhance neuroplasticity, and improve clinical outcomes.
Cutting-edge research: We highlight innovative studies exploring the effects of NPIs on abnormal neural pathways. Advanced neuroimaging methods are crucial in quantifying these changes.
What kind of papers we are soliciting: We invite original research, reviews, and protocol papers focusing on brain changes due to NPIs in severe mental illness. Topics of interest include neuroimaging studies post-intervention, the efficacy of neuromodulation techniques, the impacts of lifestyle strategies, longitudinal studies on neuroplasticity, and novel experimental designs. This collection aims to advance our understanding of how non-pharmacological therapies can induce meaningful brain changes and improve patient clinical outcomes.
Dr. Elise Leroux
Dr. Maxime Tréhout
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- severe mental illness
- brain changes
- neuroimaging
- neuroplasticity
- non-pharmacological interventions
- lifestyle interventions
- neuromodulation
- cognitive behavioral therapies
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