What is the difference between Mental Disorders & Neurological Disorders if both are disorders of brain?

The ‘organ of interest’ for Cardiology is heart; for Neurology, it is brain. What is the ‘organ of interest’ for Psychiatry? Is it brain, again?

With increasing understanding of neurobiological basis, Psychiatric Disorders are being considered Brain Disorders. But if they are just brain disorders, then shouldn’t these disorders be called Neurological Disorders and be treated by Neurologists? If, both, Psychiatry and Neurology treat disorders of the same organ, brain, then, shouldn’t departments of Psychiatry be merged with departments of Neurology? What are the defining features of Psychiatric Disorders as a group – that differentiate them from Neurological Disorders?

It is not possible to differentiate between these two groups on the basis of neuroanatomy or neurophysiology. Can we say that disorders of hippocampus are Psychiatric Disorders & disorders of other parts are Neuro Disorders? Or that disorders of Dopaminergic system are Psychiatric Disorders, while disorders of other systems are Neuro Disorders? The answer is no.

The only answer to this question is: Psychiatric Disorders are Mental Disorders i.e. disorders of the mind and Neurological disorders are disorders of brain.

But, this brings us to the vital questions: What is mind? What are the parts of the mind? How does it work? What is the exact relationship between mind and brain?

The ‘4-Level, 5-Part Framework’ (4L5PF) of mind & its relationship with the brain is the culmination of my research. It answers these questions. It is a comprehensive umbrella framework that can unify the diverse observations related to mind and brain – from aetiological factors to dysfunctions in mind & brain seen in all Mental Disorders to different treatments. It is a medical model of the mind that is compatible with current understanding of neuroscience (unlike, for example, the Freudian model of the mind that has no relation to neuroscience).

The research papers based on this framework (that have been presented in national & international Psychiatry conferences and published in journals) can be read in these posts.