I remember reading a neuroimaging study using a paradigm involving cognitive in which the investigators demonstrated that it involves large areas of the cerebral cortex-perhaps an integrative process. The research below demonstrated something similar. As was already stated on this listserv, the author of the NYT article was viewing 'insight' (and implied in this, psychodynamic approaches) as an obstacle to behavioral change, as opposed to a facilitating agent. One aspect in which she may be correct, is that the addiction becomes a problem in itself and that needs addressing on its own terms. I have relied on various rehabs to help patients in my private practice. Currently, two persons I am seeing have recovered from decades long alcoholism from a combination of rehab (lasting one week with one, it was really 'detox,' and four weeks with the other) and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy. While working at a hospital in the south Bronx, I inherited a long-term substance abuse group (outpatient) from my girlfriend at the time (we are now, I am very happy to say, married). Using the psychodynamic manual developed by Ed Khantzian et al "Addiction and the Vulnerable Self: Modified Dynamic Group Therapy for Substance Abusers" (1990-The Guilford Press) as a guide, resulted in long-term abstinence (with a very occasional relapse) in a group of persons who were formerly heavily addicted to heroin, crack, THC & ETOH.
Brian Koehler
Research Article
Function of hippocampus in insight of problem solving
Jing Luo 1, Kazuhisa Niki 2 3 *
1Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
2Neuroscience Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan 3Brainscience and Education, RISTEX, JST, Tokyo, Japan email: Kazuhisa Niki ([ mailto:k.niki@aist.go.jp ]k.niki@aist.go.jp)
*Correspondence to Kazuhisa Niki, Neuroscience Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central building 2nd, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8568 Japan
[http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/102530096/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0]
Abstract
Since the work of Wolfgang Köhler, the process of insight in problem solving has been the subject of considerable investigation. Yet, the neural correlates of insight remain unknown. Theoretically, insight means the reorientation of one's thinking, including breaking of the unwarranted fixation and forming of novel, task-related associations among the old nodes of concepts or cognitive skills. Processes closely related to these aspects have been implicated in the hippocampus. In this research, the neural correlates of insight were investigated using Japanese riddles, by imaging the answer presentation and comprehension events, just after participants failed to resolve them. The results of event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis demonstrated that the right hippocampus was critically highlighted and that a wide cerebral cortex was also involved in this insight event. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first neuroimaging study to have investigated the neural correlates of insight in problem solving. Hippocampus 2003;13:316-323. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
