Val's Take/Conjecture ​Less than 10 years ago, Dual Diagnosis -- psychiatric disorders and substance use were considered "2 Distinct Disorders." That is not as true today. Further, some Neuro-Diverse people are very prone to use particular drugs, and others are highly unlikely to use recreational drugs. This idea of "Distinct Disorders" when it comes to Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders started to obviously breakdown with the findings of the National Institute of Mental Health in 2013--- that 5 disorders (ADHD, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, and Schizophrenia) shared common genes and also involved immune epigenetics and calcium channels. The breaking down of "Distinct Disorders" has also seen the rise of more sophisticated understandings of biological mechanisms such as the microbiome and glial cells and the role of innate immunity in Neuro-Developmental, Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders as well as Autoimmune Disorders, Cancer, etc. ​There is a move away from "Symptom Clusters" to "Mechanism-Based Sub-Typing." Shared Genes & Psychiatric Disorders All of this is highly relevant to our out-dated, half-right DSM 5 conceptualization of "Anti-Social Personality Disorder" which in the Research is now being conceptualized as a Neuro-Developmental Disorder. ​​​Association patterns of antisocial personality disorder across substance use disorders (2024) ​"The present study expands our understanding of polysubstance addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. "Our findings support personalized interventions targeting mechanism-based subtyping in relation to ASPD-SUD comorbidities." ​Maternal immune activation and adolescent alcohol exposure increase alcohol drinking and disrupt cortical-striatal-hippocampal oscillations in adult offspring (2022) ​Neuroimmune Mechanisms as Novel Treatment Targets for Substance Use Disorders and Associated Comorbidities (2021)

​Microglia in neuroimmunopharmacology and drug addiction (2024) Affiliations 1Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, China. 2Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA. 3Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, China.  4School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.  5Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China. ​Abstract Drug addiction is a chronic and debilitating disease that is considered a global health problem. Various cell types in the brain are involved in the progression of drug addiction. ​Recently, the xenobiotic hypothesis has been proposed, which frames substances of abuse as exogenous molecules that are responded to by the immune system as foreign "invaders", thus triggering protective inflammatory responses. An emerging body of literature reveals that microglia, the primary resident immune cells in the brain, play an important role in the progression of addiction. ​Repeated cycles of drug administration cause a progressive, persistent induction of neuroinflammation by releasing microglial proinflammatory cytokines and their metabolic products. This contributes to drug addiction via modulation of neuronal function. In this review, we focus on the role of microglia in the etiology of drug addiction. ​Then, we discuss the dynamic states of microglia and the correlative and causal evidence linking microglia to drug addiction. Finally, possible mechanisms of how microglia sense drug-related stimuli and modulate the addiction state and how microglia-targeted anti-inflammation therapies affect addiction are reviewed. ​Understanding the role of microglia in drug addiction may help develop new treatment strategies to fight this devastating societal challenge. ​Substance Use Disorders Are Psychiatric Disorders (2023)

​Val's Take In 2013, the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) voiced serious concerns regarding the scientific validity of the DSM 5.  In fact, NIMH found that the DSM 5 lacked validity because it relied on symptom clusters rather than the underlying biology. ​As each year goes by, the case against the DSM 5 becomes stronger and stronger. In 2025, more and more researchers are conceptualizing Anti-Social Personality Disorder as a Neuro-Developmental Disorder. Personality Disorders, Developmental Differences Conceptualization Matters​--- It Matters A Lot In The Criminal Justice System Burden of Proof DSM 5 --- Criminal Justice Wheel of Fortune Personality Disorders --- Unscientific & Vague --- Must Be Reformed Hair Analysis, Psychological Analysis, the Criminal Law & the Ethical & Moral Imperative to Pull Back

​Bias Baked In: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Diagnoses Trigger Legal Failure (February 2025) ​"This Note cannot change the DSM, but it can sound an alarm. The ASPD diagnosis lacks clinical utility; it operates as a barrier to treatment and engenders prejudice.   Reform is necessary — perhaps discarding this label entirely. "Mental health professionals must also realize that a disclaimer in the DSM does not go far enough to protect against the way the legal system interprets and applies clinical knowledge. "Clinical and legal professionals must learn from the past and work against perpetuating biases and harmful self-fulfilling prophecies."

​Val's Take/Conjecture It is a HUGE PARADIGM SHIFT to recognize bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression as DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY ISSUES. Modern Psychiatry and Psychology got a lot wrong and they're still getting a lot wrong -- but they were left to hold down the fort until new evidenced based understandings and treatments were available. Hallelujah!!!! ​Tailored support and interventions that accommodate individual needs. Focusing on Neuro-Divergent Strengths and Perspectives Innovative Treatments that increase Quality of Life and improve Functional Results Including neurodivergent people in all sectors of society, including research, clinical practice, and policymaking Including NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE as one of the disciplines that needs to be included for people with "Mental Illness." The authors got the "DEVELOPMENTAL" aspect of these disorders. ​It is hard to over-state how important that is. ​The authors use some interesting phrasing:​ ​This new viewpoint "undermines established notions of these conditions as disorders/diseases that may be healed or corrected." On the other hand, they talk about the need for innovative treatments to improve quality of life. And Neuro-Diverse folks need to be included in Research. It is very hard to acknowledge and especially hard for Neuro-Diverse people to acknowledge that a large percentage of the Justice-Involved and Homeless populations are Neuro-Diverse. ​ When We're Talkin' Neuro-Diversity --- We're Talkin' Neuro-Diversity If you have some DEI Initiative that doesn't seem to understand that  there are "pathological" aspects to Neuro-Diversity ----- you're an easy target for Trump and others. Finally, the idea that Neuro-Diversity is just about identity makes it harder for people who are struggling the most and the most ostracized by the society to get the help they need for complex Neuro-Developmental and Neuro-Immune Disorders.

​Funding:   Funding was provided by Harvard University's Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging as part of the Culture Lab Innovation Fund. ​Affiliations ​1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Mexico State, Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico, Mexico. 3Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. ​ABSTRACT The term “neurodiversity” refers to the natural heterogeneity in human neurological functioning, which includes neurodevelopmental differences and other mental health conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorder [ASD], attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], dyslexia, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression). This new viewpoint has significant consequences for the future of medicine, specifically in psychiatry, neurology, and neurodevelopmental medicine, as it undermines established notions of these conditions as disorders/diseases that may be healed or corrected. The neurodiversity approach, on the other hand, acknowledges these divergences as natural variations, calling for tailored support and interventions that accommodate individual needs. Neurodiversity could impact current medical perspectives by supporting a shift from pathology to identity. Rather than focusing on the difficulties associated with a specific ailment, the neurodiversity approach stresses the strengths and distinct perspectives that come with neurodivergent identities. This shift has significant consequences for research and therapy by fostering the development of innovative treatments aimed at increasing quality of life and improving functional results. This new perspective advocates including neurodivergent people in all sectors of society, including research, clinical practice, and policymaking, by recognizing, accepting, and integrating natural variances in brain functioning. In this article, we review the development of the neurodiversity movement and propose “The Neurodiversity Framework in Medicine,” which challenges traditional views by recognizing neurological differences as natural variations, advocating for inclusive, person-centered approaches in healthcare.

Val's Take It would be great if the Colorado Mental Health Profession generally and those working in Forensics ​ would STEP UP and substantively address the historical problems of insufficient mental health knowledge in the CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM and the need to incorporate new understandings and remedy past mistakes of overloaded systems. ​Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of microglia in substance use disorders (2023) Maternal immune activation and adolescent alcohol exposure increase alcohol drinking and disrupt cortical-striatal-hippocampal oscillations in adult offspring (2022) Microglia in neuroimmunopharmacology and drug addiction (2024) Aggression --- Humanity's Ultimate Double-Edged Sword Hair Analysis, Psychological Analysis, the Criminal Law & the Ethical & Moral Imperative to Pull Back

Antisocial personality disorder: Failure to balance excitation/inhibition? (2025) Article is meant among other things "to enhance societal awareness and reception of the neurobiological basis of antisocial behavior and ASPD [Anti-Social Personality Disorder]." The neurobiology of antisocial personality disorder [APD]  ​(2024) ​Associations of the immune system in aggression traits and the role of microglia as mediators (2024) Resveratrol prevents offspring's behavioral impairment associated with immunogenic stress during pregnancy  (2025) Academic Proposal that Anti-Social Personality Disorder is a Neuro-Developmental Disordeer