Fundamentals of consultation liaison psychiatry: Neuropsychiatry

Sadness, fear, pain, confusion, and a host of other complex responses happen because of an interconnected network - the nervous system. The nervous system interfaces with, regulates, and provides feedback about every part of our bodies. We increasingly appreciate that mind-body dualism does not exist, and is neither neurologically nor psychiatrically accurate, because the nervous system regulates all subjective and objective experience. In health, it responds vigorously by adapting to environmental challenges, usually with great success. Understanding how it can be damaged, such as by hereditary diseases or toxins, de novo lesions in the brain, or trauma, is critical to consultation liaison (CL) psychiatrists who can help facilitate recovery.