대인관계 신경생물학 : 뇌의 통합을 향하여

Abstract

The diverse fields of neuroscience have made great efforts to address psychotherapeutic processes in terms of neurobiology. Among them, interpersonal neurobiology, which assumes that the brain is a social organ which is shaped and reshaped by interpersonal experiences, has attempted to integrate neuroscience with psychotherapy. To date, however, this field has not widely been reviewed from Korean psychiatrists. Therefore, the aim of this article is to introduce an overview of interpersonal neurobiology and its relationship with psychotherapy. First, neuroanatomy and functions of the social brain in relation to social cognition will be provided. Then, a short summary about normal neurodevelopment from childhood to adulthood will be discussed. Finally, the application of neuroscience to psychotherapy in interpersonal neurobiology will be addressed through several cases. In the perspective of neurobiology, psychotherapy can be a process of integration within the brain which occurs horizontally, vertically, temporally, and interpersonally.