Groundbreaking research led by Dr. Bruce M. Cohen, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and Director at McLean Hospital, suggests that mental illness may originate from energy breakdowns inside brain cells, not just chemical imbalances as long believed.
Dr. Cohen’s studies reveal that mitochondrial dysfunction, the failure of cells to generate proper energy, can disrupt how neurons communicate, potentially triggering conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
His lab uses stem cell technology to grow neurons from patient samples, uncovering early cellular irregularities that appear before symptoms develop.
This new approach could shift psychiatry’s focus toward restoring cell energy metabolism instead of merely altering neurotransmitters.
Dr. Cohen also advocates for replacing outdated psychiatric labels such as “schizophrenia” with symptom-based diagnostic models, aiming for more accurate, stigma-free treatment.
Experts believe these insights may redefine global mental health care and open doors to preventive, precision-based psychiatric therapies.
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