From Mechanism to Management: Neuropsychological, Neurobiological, and Psychopathological Foundations of Geriatric Psychiatric Care

Geriatric psychiatry sits at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and clinical medicine, addressing the complex mental health challenges that accompany aging. Older adults often present with multifactorial conditions, including depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, psychotic symptoms, medication effects, and sleep disruption, that rarely conform to a single explanatory level. Recent research highlights complex interactions among neurobiological changes, psychopathological presentations, psychopharmacological treatments, and psychosocial variables such as loneliness and autonomy. Despite growing evidence, clinical care models often remain fragmented, with limited integration between neuropsychological assessment, biological mechanisms, and treatment approaches. This integration gap underscores the need for a translational, multidisciplinary framework spanning the continuum from neuropsychological and neurobiological mechanisms to psychopathology and treatment in later life.This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding of geriatric psychiatry across this translational continuum, emphasizing the intersections between neuropsychological assessment, neurobiological mechanisms, psychopathology, and treatment. It seeks to identify mechanisms linking psychological symptoms, neurobiological signatures, and behavioral outcomes; refine diagnostic and therapeutic tools for late-life depression, anxiety, psychosis, and cognitive impairment; and promote evidence-based, person-centered models of psychiatric care. Central questions include how neuropsychological and biological markers inform diagnosis and individualized treatment selection, how digital and ecological measures enhance functional assessment, and how modifiable neurobiological, pharmacological, and lifestyle factors shape clinically relevant outcomes.To gather further insights into the pathways that shape mental health outcomes in older adults, this Research Topic welcomes contributions spanning psychiatry, neuropsychology, neuroscience, psychology, and gerontology. Articles may explore the mechanisms, diagnostics, and interventions that support individualized assessment and treatment approaches across the geriatric psychiatric spectrum. We invite original research, reviews, systematic reviews, brief reports, perspectives, and translational studies addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Assessment and diagnostic profiling in late-life psychiatric conditions• Neurobiological mechanisms underlying depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment in later life• Psychopathology of late-life psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, and psychosis• Psychopharmacology, polypharmacy, and cognition: balancing clinical risks and benefits• Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: psychological and caregiver-centered strategies• Sleep, circadian rhythms, and their regulation in older adults’ mental health• Inflammation, metabolic risk, and vascular contributions to cognitive and emotional disorders• Digital phenotyping and real-world monitoring for early detection and intervention• Lifestyle, exercise, and social engagement as components of geriatric psychiatric care• Ethical and decision-making frameworks in geriatric psychiatric careArticle types: Original research, reviews, systematic reviews, perspectives, brief reports, and translational studies. Topic editors: Rodrigo Nicolato, IZABELA GUIMARAES BARBOSA, Jonas Jardim de Paula, Antonio Lucio Teixeira Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83875/from-mechanism-to-management-neuropsychological-neurobiological-and-psychopathological-foundations-of-geriatric-psychiatric-care