As an attending psychiatrist at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Antonio Bullon, MD, cares for geriatric patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Antonio Bullon comes to this role having served inpatient populations at Mercy Hospital and MetroWest Medical Center, both of which serve patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.Medical science has historically linked Alzheimer’s disease with elevated levels of amyloid plaque in the brain. These plaques have received almost universal acceptance as a risk factor for the disease, but a new study suggests that their presence may be a preclinical sign of the disease itself.According to study leader Dr. Paul Aisen of the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, amyloid plaques may be not only the basic molecular cause of Alzheimer’s disease, but also an indication for early intervention. Patients may go a significant period of time with elevated amyloid levels but no symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe that if physicians offer anti-amyloid therapies during this period, they may be able to slow or even prevent the eventual onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Implications may be life-changing for the 33 percent of Americans over the age of 65 with elevated amyloid levels who, if study findings are correct, have a high risk of progressing to Alzheimer’s disease within a decade.
Since March 2014, Dr. Antonio Bullon has worked as medical director of the geriatric and neuropsychiatry treatment unit at MetroWest Medical Center in Natick, Massachusetts. To help him stay up-to-date on changes made within the industry, Dr. Antonio Bullon maintains membership with several professional organizations, one of which includes the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry (AAPDP).Founded in 1956, the AAPDP consists of psychiatrists who are interested in psychodynamic psychotherapy within clinical practices. As an affiliate of the American Psychiatric Association, the AAPDP also has members who are psychiatric residents and medical students. A nonprofit organization, it strives to advance psychodynamic psychiatry, encourage research, and provide a forum for those interested in the practice.In addition, the AAPDP hosts an annual meeting where members converge and share ideas. Its 60th annual meeting, which occurred in May 2016 in Atlanta, had a theme of “Let’s Play! The Role of Play in Treatment and Across the Lifespan.” The three-day event featured symposiums, workshops, and presentations. Keynote speaker Dr. Kimberly R. Best discussed the role of playfulness in child and adult treatment. The 61st annual meeting is scheduled for May 2017 in San Diego.
Since early January 2017, Dr. Antonio Bullon has treated patients at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Maryland, as an attending psychiatrist. In addition to caring for geriatric patients at the hospital, Dr. Antonio Bullon remains actively involved with his professional community through the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This organization supports psychiatric patients and helps ensure they receive the highest level of care possible.The APA is also concerned with ethics regarding the care of psychiatric patients. Recently, the organization upheld the Goldwater Rule, an ethics guideline that states member psychiatrists should refrain from giving professional opinions about individuals they have not personally evaluated.The Goldwater Rule dates back to 1973, although it came about from the 1964 presidential election. At this time, Fact magazine questioned more than 12,000 psychiatrists about Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate. More than 2,400 psychiatrists responded to the survey, with 1,189 saying that he was psychiatrically unfit for the presidency.Goldwater sued the magazine for publishing the results of this survey and Fact was found liable for damages. The APA came to the conclusion that it was unethical and unprofessional for theses care providers to issue an opinion about someone they had not personally evaluated, and subsequently drafted the rule to prevent such occurrences in the future.
With more than 20 years of experience in the psychiatric field, Dr. Antonio Bullon serves as the medical director of the geriatric treatment unit at the MetroWest Medical Center in Natick, Massachusetts. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Antonio Bullon teaches in Harvard Medical School’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine.A recent study led by Harvard Medical School researchers revealed that cancer stem cells play a significant role in the proliferation of oligodendroglioma, a type of brain cancer that grows at a slow rate but cannot be cured. It’s the first time that growth patterns of these cells have been specifically observed in brain tumors.Researchers looked at more than 4,000 tumors to study three different types of cells: stems cells and two other types involved in cell differentiation. The researchers found that, in these tumors, stem cells were the only ones showing growth. Study author and Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor of Pathology Mario Suvà said that this research “strongly supports” the conclusion that stem cells are the primary type of cells that grow in these brain tumors, making them the prime target for treatment strategies.
A part of the MetroWest Medical Center team in Natick, Massachusetts, Dr. Antonio Bullon serves as Geriatric and Neuropsychiatry Treatment Unit medical director. Dr. Antonio Bullon is active with a number of organizations in his field, including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry.Also known as psychodynamic psychiatry, the practice of dynamic psychiatry is a distinct way of approaching the mind’s complex workings and understanding how this impacts mental health. It encompasses a range of interconnected emotional and mental processes as well as the environmental and biochemical factors that make up a person’s mental condition.What this translates to in the therapy setting is a belief that psychological treatment should be, on a certain level, self-directed by the patient: issues troubling the individual will ultimately surface in a natural manner. An emphasis in this psychiatric approach is on active listening, which translates into a dynamic interaction between therapist and patient that is highly informed by the patient’s own words.
Dr. Antonio Bullon, the medical director of the geriatric and neuropsychiatry treatment unit at MetroWest Medical Center in Massachusetts, is a volunteer psychiatrist at Ayacucho-Peru. As a volunteer, Dr. Antonio Bullon travels to the Peruvian Andes’ small town every six months to train health care staff and visit with patients who experienced the political violence based in Ayacucho in the 1980s.Ayacucho is the capital of an isolated, poor area. It is best known for the 1980s and 1990s Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) Maoist revolution that sought to take over the government. This movement was based in Ayacucho and led by Professor Abimael Guzman. The revolution was stirred on by the economic problems that worsened ongoing social issues; Alberto Fujimori was the president of Peru during the revolution, and his government policies were founded on human rights abuse, corruption, authoritarian leadership, and bribery.The poor economy grew even worse after El Nino weather patterns from 1982 through 1983, resulting in flooding, loss of fish, and serious droughts, further strengthening the guerrilla movement. Eventually, Fujimori relinquished the presidency and exiled himself to Japan, effectively sidestepping prosecution for corruption and human rights violations. Between 1980 and 2000, an estimated 69,280 people died or disappeared because of the war. Despite the town’s sad history, it has a strong, independent atmosphere. Today, Ayacucho hosts diverse festivals that celebrate the town’s culture and self-sufficiency.
As medical director of the Geriatric and Neuropsychiatry Treatment Unit at MetroWest Medical Center, Dr. Antonio Bullon ensures that his multidisciplinary team provides quality care for older adults. Dr. Antonio Bullon has both a personal and professional interest in human group behavior and the way in which professionals can break down barriers and achieve positive communication and understanding. The term "group dynamics” dates back to the 1940s, when Kurt Lewin used it as a way of defining the behaviors and roles that individuals assume when part of a group. The term is used as a way of describing both the effect of individuals on other members and on the entire group. Positive group dynamics are built upon a sense of trust and by members engaging toward a collective decision. In successful groups, individuals hold well-defined roles and are held accountable for achievements, or lack thereof. There is a psychological penalty associated with holding the group back and positive feedback associated with doing one’s task creatively and efficiently. Setting in place a productive group dynamic involves knowing the strengths and weaknesses of individual members and how to juxtapose them for maximum impact. At the same time, it is important to understand the various phases groups go through as they coalesce upon a shared goal and ethos. This was famously laid out in the 1960s by psychologist Bruce Tuckman through the catch phrase "forming, storming, norming, and performing.”
Antonio Bullon, MD, is an attending psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. As a member of the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry (AAPP), Dr. Antonio Bullon is a part of the organization that grants the Karl Jaspers Award to a recipient who is a resident or fellow in psychiatry, a graduate student, or a post-doctoral student.The award is given to the writer of an unpublished paper on a topic related to the fields of philosophy or psychiatry. Examples of possible topics include the mind-body problem, epistemology, psychiatric methodology, or the philosophy of science. The winner will receive a $350 cash prize and be recognized in the association’s publications. The 2017 award recipient will be announced at the AAPP annual meeting in San Diego, California.Submissions are due December 15, 2016, and should be no longer than 6,000 words including bibliography and footnotes. Applicants should also include a summary of their career status.
