Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry: Towards A New Neurology Subspecialty Training in Turkey

Abstract

As a medical subspecialty, Behavioral Neurology &Neuro-psychiatry encompasses clinical and pathological aspects of neural processes associated with cognitive functions, emotional states, and social behavior. Although the important neuroscientists of late 19th and early 20th centuries such as Griesenger, Broca, Wernicke, Harlow, Charcot, Freud, Alzheimer and Pick realized and tried to establish behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry as an integrated discipline, neurology and psychiatry unfortunately evolved into distinct medical specialties during most of the 20th century, resulted in "only EEG and EMG for the neurology and the ful/basket medical pills for the psychiatry parts" and "ignorance of behavior in neurology and ignorance of brain in psychiatry" in Marsel Mesulam's words.
Advances in neuropsychology, neuroimaging and the neurophysiological methods over the recent decades contributed however to grow interests in both sides; behavioral neurology from neurology and biological psychiatry from psychiatry sides, come along to form an unique training area for neurologists, psychiatrists, and child neurologists: Behavioral Neurology& Neuropsychiatry. Recently, American Neuropsychiatric Association (ANPA) and the Society of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology (SBCN) have both agreed to propose a draft concerning core curriculum for training in Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry and fellowship training program requirements including policies and procedures. More recently, United Councif for Neurologic Subspecialties reviewed this prosoposal and accepted Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry as a new subspecialty in USA and Canada.
Behavioral neurology has been one of the outgrowing field in Turkey since early 80's. During the 80's and 90's several books and many journal articles appeared in the scene and elementary cognitive functions and representative neurobehavioral syndromes have been analyzed in detail along with the research and case studies. Consequently, neuropsychology demonstrated great progress in those years with the appearance of several original and standardized tests, especialfy those on aphasia. During the 90's dementia came into the vision nationwide, with special reference to Alzheimer's Disease and Turkish Alzheimer's Association was founded by several neurologists and neuropsychologists.
Biological psychiatry has been one of the fields which contributed the development of the notion of Behavioral Neurology&Neuropsychiatry in Turkey. During the recent years, it gained recognition nationwide scientifically largely because of the activities of Biological Psychiatry Society.
in 2004, First National Cognitive Neurology Symposium was held with more than 50 presentations and 270 participants. After the successful outcome, The Second Symposium has been organized in May 2005 with strong international participation and more than 250 guests nationwide. Marsel Mesulam, Sandra Weintraub, Patricia Churchland, Stefano Cappa, Ramon Leiguarda, Facundo Manes and Roderick Corriveau were all in the scientific program. Recently, Course and Abstract Book of the Symposium has been published as a supplement of the last issue of Turkish Journal of Neurology and has been distributed over one thousand readers. Turkish Neurological Society Cognitive Study Group has been formed and functioning well with the organization of meetings periodically. As a result of these developments and activations it has become realistic to assume that Turkish Neurology now is ready to propose similar training program in the country. In this article, final draft concerning core curriculum and the program requirements proposed by ANPA and SBCN will be reviewed and discussed as a model.