Abolish Psychiatry, Abolish Neurology: Toward a Unified Discipline of Brain Medicine
Shaheen E Lakhan

TL;DR
This editorial argues for merging psychiatry and neurology into a unified brain medicine discipline to improve education, care, and research.
Contribution
The paper proposes abolishing the division between psychiatry and neurology in favor of a unified brain medicine framework.
Findings
Psychiatry and neurology address the same organ but remain fragmented, hindering progress.
Shared brain circuitry underlies conditions traditionally labeled as psychiatric or neurological.
Integration of brain medicine can lead to system-wide efficiencies and better clinical outcomes.
Abstract
The longstanding division between psychiatry and neurology is a historical artifact, not a scientific necessity. Despite addressing the same organ, these fields operate as separate disciplines, fragmenting education, care, research, regulation, and reimbursement. This editorial argues for the abolition of that divide and the creation of a unified discipline of brain medicine. Drawing on advances in systems neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and neuromodulation, I present a comprehensive critique of the dual-specialty model and propose an integrated alternative. The editorial synthesizes data from brain network research, the lived inefficiencies of medical training and healthcare delivery, and the constraints placed on innovation by legacy frameworks. I highlight how computational psychiatry, neurobiology, and regulatory reform can converge to enable a model that is mechanistically…
Genes, proteins, chemicals, diseases, species, mutations and cell lines named across the full text — each resolved to its canonical identifier and authoritative record.
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Taxonomy
TopicsMental Health and Psychiatry · Neurology and Historical Studies · Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations
