Department of “borderline” mental pathology and psychosomatic disorders

Anatoly Boleslavovich Smulevich is the head of the Department of “borderline” mental pathology and psychosomatic disorders, academician of RAMS, doctor of medical sciences, professor, honored worker of science of the Russian Federation. A.B. Smulevich is also the Head of Chair of Psychiatry and Psychosomatics of the Faculty for Postgraduate Training of the Moscow Medical Academy named after I.M. Sechenov and of the inter-clinical psychosomatic unit in the department of cardiology of the same academy. In 1961 he upheld his PhD (Candidate of Med. Sci.) thesis on “Neuropsychiatric complications of neuroleptic treatment of patients with schizophrenia”, and in 1968 - his doctoral thesis “Paranoiac schizophrenia and the problem of paranoia”. His scientific interests involve a wide spectrum of borderline disorders (neurotic, obsessive-compulsive, hypochondriacal disorders, personality disorders, non-psychotic affective and endogenous processual diseases, with a development of their psychopathology and clinical picture). A special place in A.B. Smulevich's scientific activities belongs to priority research in the field of psychosomatics. Conceptual development of this problem, which is new for the national scientific approach widens the possibilities of classification, differential diagnostics, treatment and organization of care to patients with mental disorders seen in general medical practice. A search for scientifically based indications and new approaches to treatment (including out-patient) of mental disorders belonging to “minor psychiatry” is performed. A.B. Smulevich is an author of more then 200 scientific papers, including 12 monographs. Under his supervision, 50 PhD's (Candidate of Med. Sci.) and 9 doctoral theses have been upheld. A.B. Smulevich is a Chairman of the Section on psychosomatic disorders of the Presidium of the Russian Association of psychiatrists, a member of the Pharmacological Committee of the Russian Federation, a WHO expert on the problems of borderline psychiatric pathology.

The Department is staffed with 12 research fellows.

Scope of research activities of the Department:

  • Analysis of the prevailing forms of borderline psychiatric pathology, that are widely spread both in psychiatric and in general medical practice (psychogenic, neurotic, personality disorders), psychosomatic disorders (nosogenic, organ neuroses, dermatopathomimia, etc.), as well as endogenous disorders with a relatively favorable clinical course (continuous slowly progressive schizophrenia, non-psychotic depression, bipolar disorders). The aim of such research is to clarify the psychopathology, systematization, differential diagnostics for the timely and adequate identification, as well as creating a basis for the medical strategy, optimization of treatment and rehabilitation programs.
  • Elaboration of problems related to affective and psychosomatic disorders in general medical network on the basis of collaboration with professionals working in corresponding establishments of various types (The Clinic of Faculty Therapy, Chair of Dermatological and Venereal diseases and the department of cardiology of the Research Centre of the Moscow Medical Academy named after I.M. Sechenov; the laboratory or chronomedicine and clinical problems of gastroenterology RAMS, the out-patient centre for neuroses in a territorial policlinic #171 in Moscow; the municipal clinical hospital #1 named after N.I. Pirogov, the Chair for Social Medicine and Public Health Care of the Moscow Medical Academy named after I.M. Sechenov).

37 PhD's (Candidate of Med. Sci.) theses (31 - under the supervision of academician of the RAMS A.B. Smulevich and 6 - under the supervision of the Chief Research Fellow, doctor of medical sciences E.B. Dubnitskaya) and 9 Doctor of Med. Sci. theses were done and upheld in this Department. The results of the studies have been published in chapters of “Manual on Psychiatry” (ed. A.S. Tiganov), in 3 training books and 12 monographs.

The Department devotes a great deal of time to the training and qualification of specialists in clinical psychiatry and assistance to practical healthcare system.

The Chair of Psychiatry and Psychosomatics of the Department of Medical Postgraduate Training of the Moscow Medical Academy named after I.M. Sechenov (Head of the Chair - Academician of the RAMS, Head of the Department of borderline mental and psychosomatic disorders of MHRS RAMS, Professor A.B. Smulevich) made a nonprofit contract on mutual scientific-practical activities N 31 of 02.01.09 with a state institution the MHRS RAMS.

The collective of the Chair together with the staff of MHRS RAMS takes an active part in the educational-pedagogical process, preparation of training aids and educational-methodical materials, textbooks and manuals for physicians. The chair organizes a series of lectures of subject perfection in psychosomatics for physicians of therapeutic specialties on the budget basis (day and extramural forms of training), as well as certificate cycles for psychiatrists.

The collective of the Chair and the staff of MHRS RAMS carry out scientific and scientific-organizational activities: studies of important issues of psychiatry and psychosomatics, publications, participation in psychiatric congresses and conferences. A wide contingent of patients with cardiological, pulmonologic, endocrinological, and dermatologic pathology was examined within the framework of studies of psychosomatic disorders. Complex epidemiological and clinical study of somatized neurotic disorders (organ neuroses) was conducted using the pattern of hyperventilation syndrome, Da Kosta's syndrome (cardioneurosis, DKS), and irritable colon syndrome (ICS).

A student study group works at the chair, the active hearers of which have an opportunity to enter the clinical residency and intership. A competitive selection to the day and day-extramural graduate school is carried out at the chair.