FAQ

What is Computational Psychiatry?

Computational psychiatry is an interdisciplinary field which seeks to characterize mental health conditions in terms of changes in computations at multiple scales. In recent years, the field of human neuroscience, particularly functional neuroimaging, has begun to address the underlying neurobiology of changes in brain function related to psychiatric conditions and symptoms. This effort has produced some exciting early discoveries, but it has also highlighted the need for computational models that can bridge the explanatory gap between neurobiology and clinical symptoms. The expertise and quantitative tools required to address this gap exist only across disciplines, combining skills and knowledge from investigators and clinicians that are jointly interested in solving problems of mental health.

What Is the Aim and Scope of this conference?

One of the central concerns in computational neuroscience is to construct theoretical accounts of mental function that link characterizations of neurobiology, psychology, and aspects of the environment. In Computational Psychiatry, these theories, realized in models at various scales, are used to elucidate mechanisms underlying psychiatric symptoms and identify effective interventions and therapies.