A Multitude of Advancements Over the Past 40 Years

Gustavo Alva, MD, FAPA, sat down with Psychiatric Times as part of our 40th anniversary to talk about what advancements from the past 40 years he finds most remarkable. His answer? Everything from neuroimaging and biomarkers, to muscarinic receptors and other new therapies, to the new space of psychedelics. Additionally, being able to identify and treat disease states like Alzheimer disease are huge advancements.

"Obviously we've seen a lot of changes over the past 40 years. It is an amazing time and an amazing field to be able to work in," said Alva.

Alva also praises new modalities in the affective space that allow for quicker treatment of symptoms, and thus better patient outcomes.

"As one patient once placed on my mind's eye, 1 day of suffering feels like an eternity of agony for people with conditions like major depressive disorder," said Alva.

Dr Alva is a board-certified psychiatrist, a paid consultant of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc, and Lundbeck, and Mood Disorders Section Editor for Psychiatric Times. Learn more from Dr Alva at the Southern California Psychiatry Conference July 11-12.