There is growing interest in the role of inflammation in psychiatric disorders. Trials of anti-inflammatory treatments have yielded mixed results at best. Growing research implicates inflammatory cytokines as not only being increased in patients with severe mental illness, but suggest that they directly impact specific areas and circuits within the brain. More specifically, inflammation appears to be associated with alterations in signaling from circuits involving the basal ganglia and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Decreased connectivity in these circuits is associated with specific symptoms, namely anhedonia and psychomotor slowing, which are known to be present in many psychiatric illnesses. Moreover, increasing data implicates interactions between inflammation and metabolic disturbances on these circuits and subsequent symptoms This poses important opportunities for the field to consider novel mechanisms and treatments that may target both inflammatory and/or metabolic pathways.
Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity with post-test.
This presentation was recorded on June 1, 2021.
Describe how inflammation impacts the brain and the mechanism by which it is associated with symptoms such as anhedonia and psychomotor slowing.
Discuss how understanding the impact of inflammation on the brain may lead to novel approaches to treatment.
Summarize challenges in the current anti-inflammatory literature and how better studies may be designed to address these limitations.
Psychiatrist, Physician (non-psychiatrist), Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
Introductory, Intermediate
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.0 hour
Program Start Date: July 30, 2025
Program End Date: July 30, 2028
Ongoing Interdisciplinary Discussion Board
After completing the course, engage with colleagues in the mental health field through the Webinar Roundtable Topics discussion board. This is an easy way to network and share ideas with other clinicians who participate in this webinar. Access through the discussion tab.
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Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, American Psychiatric Association (APA) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The APA designates this live event for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses/Nurse Practitioners
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) designates this activity for 1.00 Nursing contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
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David Goldsmith, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist who focuses on the treatment of psychotic disorders and studies the role of the immune system in persistent symptoms of schizophrenia. More specifically, he is interested in how inflammation targets the brain, leading to motivational deficits and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. He is the co-director of the PSTAR (Persistent Symptoms: Treatment, Assessment, and Recovery) Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital, which focuses on the treatment of individuals with psychosis, with a specific emphasis on using clozapine and other pharmacologic/psychosocial interventions for persistent symptoms. In addition to his work in the PSTAR Clinic, Dr. Goldsmith is on the faculty of the Emory Behavioral Immunology Program and is the Associate Program Director for the Emory Psychiatry Residency Research Track. Dr. Goldsmith reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
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Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
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Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, University of Texas at Austin. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
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Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, University of Texas at Austin. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. (Reviewed on 6/4/2023)
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