History of the Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Nacrology and Medical Psychology

The Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Nacrology and Medical Psychology is one of the “youngest” at the School of Medicine of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. It was founded in September, 2017 (V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University President’s Order №3501-1/346 from the 12th of September, 2017) and started working from the 1st of November, 2017. The Department is located on the basis of the State Institution "Institute of Neurology, Psychiatry and Narcology of the NAMS of Ukraine", which is the clinical base of the Department.

From the very beginning of its existing the department was headed by Doctor of Medicine, Full Professor, Honored Worker of Science and Technology, Academician of Higher Education Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Tamara S. Mishhenko.

The majority of those who became workers of the Department came from the State Institution “Institute of Neurology, Psychiatry and Narcology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”. Now it is the department’s clinical base and has its own 95 years old history of development.

In summary to the 95th anniversary of the State Institution “Institute of Neurology, Psychiatry and Narcology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine” it’s reasonable to mention the very important precondition for its foundation. It was one of the oldest great Province Zemstvo Hospital located in Kharkiv and opened in 1796. On the basis of this hospital (Saburov’s Dacha) such talented psychiatrists like P. O. Butkovs’kyj, P. Y. Kovalevs’kyj, M. V. Krayins’kyj, V. O. Hilyarovs’kyj, E. O. Popov, K. Y. Platonov, V. Y. Yushhenko, M. Y. Muxin and others worked, having made an invaluable contribution in the development and establishment of neurology, psychiatry and narcology as sciences in Ukraine.

Today, the Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Nacrology and Medical Psychology is one of the leading in Ukraine. The scientific and pedagogical staff of the department is represented by highly qualified specialists. The department conducts educational and methodical work using innovative approaches and presenting the results of modern scientific research at a high level.

At the Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Nacrology and Medical Psychology the study of the main clinical disciplines, which are combined into one group of "neuroscience", is carried out. In modern medicine, especially after the “decade of the brain” announced by many countries and international organizations of the last decade of the twentieth century, the concept of “neuroscience” has become widely used, which underlines their great medical and social significance.

Great success has been associated with neuroscience in expanding knowledge about the nature and pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of neurological and mental diseases, embodiment of lifetime research of brain structures, the latest biochemical, radioimmunological and neurophysiological research in clinical practices, studying the mechanisms of action of psychotropic substances, etc.

Phenomena that ensure the functioning of the nerve cell, intercellular connections and the interaction of brain structures were studied. All this made it possible to significantly expand the understanding of the processes occurring in the nervous system and which are important for its functioning, not only in normal conditions, but also in pathology. The result was the emergence of new methods of diagnosis and treatment of neurological and mental diseases.

On the 28th September, 2020 the Department of Clinical Neurology, Psychiatry and Narcology was renamed into the Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology by the decision of the Academic Board of the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.

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