Robyn Bluhm
Professor Michigan State University
- East Lansing MI
Robyn Bluhm's research and teaching focus on the intersection of neuroscience and medicine.
Media
Industry Expertise
Education
Western University
Ph.D.,
Philosophy
McMaster University
M.A.
Philosophy
Laurentian University
B.A.
Philosophy
Laurentian University
B.Sc.
Behavioural Neuroscience
News
From shell-shock to PTSD, a century of invisible war trauma
The Conversation online
2017-04-03
In the wake of World War I, some veterans returned wounded, but not with obvious physical injuries. Instead, their symptoms were similar to those that had previously been associated with hysterical women – most commonly amnesia, or some kind of paralysis or inability to communicate with no clear physical cause.
English physician Charles Myers, who wrote the first paper on “shell-shock” in 1915, theorized that these symptoms actually did stem from a physical injury. He posited that repetitive exposure to concussive blasts caused brain trauma that resulted in this strange grouping of symptoms. But once put to the test, his hypothesis didn’t hold up. There were plenty of veterans who had not been exposed to the concussive blasts of trench warfare, for example, who were still experiencing the symptoms of shell-shock. (And certainly not all veterans who had seen this kind of battle returned with symptoms.)
We now know that what these combat veterans were facing was likely what today we call post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. We are now better able to recognize it, and treatments have certainly advanced, but we still don’t have a full understanding of just what PTSD is.
Brain stimulation might be more invasive than we think
Technology Review online
2022-12-23
There are different ways to define invasiveness, after all, as Robyn Bluhm at Michigan State and colleagues found when they asked people who have undergone treatments that target their brain activity, as well as psychiatrists and other members of the public.
Research Grants
Is the treatment perceived to be worse than the disease: Ethical concerns and attitudes toward psychiatric electroceutical interventions
National Institute of Mental Health/BRAIN Initiative
With Laura Cabrera (PI), Aaron McCright, and Eric Achtyes
Journal Articles
Perceived Barriers to Using Neurostimulation A National Survey of Psychiatrists, Patients, Caregivers, and the General Public
The Journal of ECT2024
Objectives
Neurostimulation interventions often face heightened barriers limiting patient access. The objective of this study is to examine different stakeholders' perceived barriers to using different neurostimulation interventions for depression.
Methods
We administered national surveys with an embedded experiment to 4 nationwide samples of psychiatrists (n = 505), people diagnosed with depression (n = 1050), caregivers of people with depression (n = 1026), and members of the general public (n = 1022). We randomly assigned respondents to 1 of 8 conditions using a full factorial experimental design: 4 neurostimulation modalities (electroconvulsive therapy [ECT], repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation [rTMS], deep brain stimulation [DBS], or adaptive brain implants [ABIs]) by 2 depression severity levels (moderate or severe). We asked participants to rank from a list what they perceived as the top 3 barriers to using their assigned intervention. We analyzed the data with analysis of variance and logistic regression.
Looking through the lens of stigma: Understanding and anticipating concerns about the responsible development and use of psychiatric electroceutical interventions (PEIs)
SSM - Mental Health2023
Psychiatric electroceutical interventions (PEIs) show promise for treating depression, but few studies have examined stakeholders’ views on them. Using interview data and survey data that analyzed the views of psychiatrists, patients, caregivers, and the general public, a conceptual map was created to represent stakeholders’ views on four PEIs: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and adaptive brain implants (ABIs). Stigma emerged as a key theme connecting diverse views, revealing that it is a significant factor in the acceptance and usage of PEIs. Stigma not only discourages seeking mental health services for depression but also inhibits the acceptance of PEIs. Addressing the pervasive and complex effects of stigma highlights the need to change societal attitudes toward mental illnesses and their treatments and to provide support to patients who may benefit from these interventions. The map also demonstrates the value of conceptual mapping for anticipating and mitigating ethical considerations in the development and use of PEIs.
Stakeholders' Ethical Concerns Regarding Psychiatric Electroceutical Interventions: Results from a US Nationwide Survey
AJOB Empirical Bioethics2023
Background: Psychiatric electroceutical interventions (PEIs) use electrical or magnetic stimulation to treat mental disorders and may raise different ethical concerns than other therapies such as medications or talk therapy. Yet little is known about stakeholders' perceptions of, and ethical concerns related to, these interventions. We aimed to better understand the ethical concerns of a variety of stakeholder groups (patients with depression, caregivers of patients, members of the public, and psychiatrists) regarding four PEIs: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and adaptive brain implants (ABI).
Methods: We conducted a national survey of these four stakeholder groups, using an embedded video vignette experiment depicting a patient with treatment-resistant depression and her psychiatrist discussing the possibility of treatment with one of the four PEIs.
The influence of prior awareness on views about psychiatric electroceutical interventions among non-clinician stakeholders
Mental Health Research2023
Psychiatric electroceutical interventions (PEIs) are emerging interventions in the treatment of depression and other mood disorders. The uptake of PEIs is strongly influenced by public, caregiver, and patient views. This study examines the influence of prior awareness and of trust in the medico-scientific establishment with respect to non-clinicians’ views on PEI among a cohort of U.S. respondents. About 3098 U.S. caregivers, patients, and members of the general public completed an online survey with an embedded experiment to evaluate PEI views by stakeholder, modality, and disease severity. ANOVA statistical tests and logistic regression models were used to identify significant differences between groups and moderating factors. Overall, respondents had greater awareness of antidepressant medication (73–84%) and psychotherapy (68–76%) than of any PEI, and ECT garnered the most prior awareness (29–40%) within each group.
Views about neuromodulation interventions for depression by stakeholder group, treatment modality, and depression severity
Comprehensive Psychiatry2023
Background: The past few decades have seen the emergence both of new neuromodulation treatment protocols and novel applications of standard neuromodulation interventions in psychiatry. Yet little is known about different stakeholders' views about these interventions. Methods: We administered an online survey with an embedded video vignette experiment to four national samples: the general public (N = 1022), caregivers for people with depression (N = 1026), patients living with depression (N = 1050), and board-certified psychiatrists (N = 505). We randomly assigned subjects to one of eight conditions in our full factorial design: four neuromodulation interventions [electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, or adaptive brain implants] by two depression severity levels [moderate or severe].
