The promises and pitfalls of applying computational models to neurological and psychiatric disorders

Teufel, Christoph ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3915-9716 and Fletcher, Paul 2016. The promises and pitfalls of applying computational models to neurological and psychiatric disorders. Brain 139 (10) , pp. 2600-2608.

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Abstract

Computational models have become an integral part of basic neuroscience and have facilitated some of the major advances in the field. More recently, such models have also been applied to the understanding of disruptions in brain function. In this review, using examples and a simple analogy, we discuss the potential for computational models to inform our understanding of brain function and dysfunction. We argue that they may provide, in unprecedented detail, an understanding of the neurobiological and mental basis of brain disorders and that such insights will be key to progress in diagnosis and treatment. However, there are also potential problems attending this approach. We highlight these and identify simple principles that should always govern the use of computational models in clinical neuroscience, noting especially the importance of a clear specification of a model’s purpose and of the mapping between mathematical concepts and reality.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) Psychology
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	computational psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, schizophrenia, hallucination, delusion
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	0006-8950
Funders:	Wellcome Trust
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 July 2016
Date of Acceptance:	12 July 2016
Last Modified:	05 May 2023 22:42
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/92511

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