PsyDactic T. Ryan O'Leary

I did not until recently even consider the cerebellum when thinking about psychiatric conditions, but the more I read, the more I wonder why the cerebellum is not considered a potential important player in nearly every psychiatric disorder. Although it can be said that all brain regions primarily function to make predictions, the cerebellum is especially active at refining impromptu predictions through short periods of time as sensory data changes to help us better navigate the world, n...

The thalami are bilaterally symmetrical structures in the subcortical part of the brain that are cradled by the basal ganglia. They are major hubs of pretty much everything your brain does and all of the sensory information coming into the brain with the exception of smell.More primitive models of the brain visualized it as a bunch of relatively isolated modules, each specialized to perform a single task when queried and able to send that information to wherever it should go. More...

In this episode, I discuss a medication that patients who saw a psychiatrist or their primary care provider between about 1997 and 2015 were very likely to find themselves prescribed. More recently, it has been taken down a notch or two on prescribers lists of preferred meds. This medication is quetiapine, marketed as Seroquel by AstraZeneca in the US. Whether you were diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, insomnia, PTSD, bo...

This episode continues an intermittent series called “In a Word.” Past episodes have explored words like Akathisia, Dissociation, Perseveration, and even the difference between Impulsive and Compulsive. This episode explores Confabulation, including some of the brain circuits involved, and what might differentiate confabulation from other kinds of false or implanted memories or delusions.Please leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com. References and readings (when available) a...

In 2012 the Supreme Court heard two related cases involving adolescents convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole because of mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines in their states. One of the boys, Evan Miller along with an accomplice, had beat a man unconscious with a baseball bat after a fight that ensued when the man awoke to find Miller robbing him. Miller and his friend then decided to set fire to the home to cover up the evidence. This resulte...

I am lucky today to be able to bring you an interview with Dr. Zac Brooks who is passionate about serious mental illness (SMI). “What is serious mental illness?” you might ask. That is one of the things we are going to discuss, and you may be surprised when Dr. Brooks explains how it was first formally defined. We also discuss the numerous ways the US has tried to reform how SMI is treated with variable results.Please leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com. References a...