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Matthew D. Erlich, M.D.
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Matthew D. Erlich, M.D. is a senior resident in psychiatry at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He is currently in Columbia's Public Psychiatry Fellowship Program, with a concentration in mental health-care policy.

A Bowdoin College graduate, Dr. Erlich received his M.D. from Columbia P & S. He also received the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Outstanding Resident Award in Psychiatry for 2010, is a member of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism Honor Society, and a recipient of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Policy Scholar Award (2010-2012).

His interests range from research in the prescribing practices of antipsychotic medications in community public health to the role of nostalgia in shaping history. He has written articles in professional, scientific, and lay publications and is currently working on a children's book.

Blog Entries by Matthew D. Erlich, M.D.

Neuroethics: Whose Mind Is It Anyway?

(8) Comments | Posted April 23, 2012 | 6:26 PM

If you lost a limb, would you think twice about getting a mechanical prosthesis that could be operated with your thoughts? If you lost hearing or vision, you might want a cochlear implant or a visual prosthetic. What if you lost a chunk of memory, or lost your ability to...

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Neurotechnology: Science Fiction or Applied Science?

(19) Comments | Posted March 21, 2012 | 5:07 PM

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
--Arthur C. Clarke

In fact, advances in neurotechnology are capitalizing on the brain's remarkable sleight of hand.

Neurotechnology refers to the applied science of understanding the brain, consciousness, thought, and higher-order activities of the mind. Neurotech's brainchildren are today's mental...

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Mastering the Anniversary Reaction: Putting Memory to Rest

(4) Comments | Posted December 25, 2011 | 9:40 AM

'Tis the season of intense emotions and evoked memories.

For some, however, the holiday time can generate feelings of grief, anxiety, loss and pain. Articles in journals and magazines talk about seasonal pathology: holiday blues, "Christmas Neurosis," seasonal mood disorders. We even hear about "Holiday Heart," a form of...

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Should Health Care Providers Be Afraid of the 'Nocebo' Effect?

(3) Comments | Posted November 29, 2011 | 12:07 PM

We may soon see "How's my doctoring?" stickers in emergency rooms, operating suites and on the bumpers of ambulances. That's because, as of October 2012, the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) requires patient satisfaction scores to be factored into how much Medicare will pay health care providers.

According to...

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When Can Making Medical Decisions Be Hazardous to Your Health?

(0) Comments | Posted October 12, 2011 | 10:18 AM

"Take two aspirin and call me in the morning" may be really good advice after all. That's because a doctor's decision-making abilities may be related to the time of day. Making decisions, choices, seems highly affected by what social psychologists call "decision fatigue," or the gradual deterioration in decision making...

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With Mental Health Drugs, Greater Risk Means More Marketing

(18) Comments | Posted September 6, 2011 | 9:43 AM

"Television has done much for psychiatry," Alfred Hitchcock remarked, "by spreading information about it, as well as contributing to the need for it." Hitch did not live long enough to become acquainted with the dizzying number of commercials for psychiatric medications that promise relief from suffering, performance enhancement and healthy...

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