Treatment in mental health services

1.30 pm Coffee, registration and Viewing of Posters 

2.00 pm
Neuromodulation in Psychiatry: The Rise of TMS and Clinical Insights from Pennine Care's TMS service 
Dr Micheal Kurkar, Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Lead for Pennine Care TMS Service

Talk synopsis:

This lecture will explore the evolving role of neuromodulation in modern psychiatric practice, with a particular focus on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). It will begin with an overview of neuromodulation principles, outlining the scientific foundations of TMS and its clinical application.

The session will then examine the proposed mechanisms of action, including cortical excitability modulation, network-level effects, and neuroplasticity. Current evidence-based indications will be reviewed, including treatment-resistant depression in line with guidance from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Emerging applications across a broader range of psychiatric and neuropsychiatric conditions will also be discussed.

Finally, the talk will present real-world clinical insights from the Pennine Care TMS service, including service development, patient outcomes, and the practical challenges of implementing neuromodulation within NHS settings.

2.45 pm 
Disease Modifying Therapies in Dementia
Dr Ross Dunne, Clinical Lead, brainHealth Manchester Clinic and Later Life Psychiatrist, GMMH

Talk synopsis:

An overview of disease modifying therapies for Alzheimer's and other diseases underlying dementia  (new and repurposed) as well as an update on the use of biomarkers in diagnosis. 

3.30 pm
Coffee break

3.50 pm
History and Psychodynamics of Borderline Personality Disorder
Dr Mark L Ruffalo, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Central Florida College of Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine

Talk synopsis:

This lecture traces the historical development of borderline personality disorder (BPD) from its early psychoanalytic origins to contemporary diagnostic formulations, highlighting its roots in concepts such as borderline states, pseudoneurotic schizophrenia, and borderline personality organization. It then examines major object relations approaches to BPD, with particular focus on Otto Kernberg's transference-focused psychotherapy and Gerald Adler's work on aloneness and the need-fear dilemma. Finally, the talk introduces paradox and double-bind communication as organizing principles of borderline psychopathology, demonstrating how contradictory relational patterns shape clinical presentations and therapeutic challenges.

Learning points:

• Understand the historical evolution of BPD, from early psychoanalytic descriptions to its formal inclusion in modern diagnostic systems.
• Describe key object relations models of borderline pathology, including identity diffusion, primitive defenses, and transference dynamics.
• Recognize paradox and double-bind communication as central mechanisms in BPD, informing both clinical formulation and therapeutic technique.

4.35 pm
Close

CPD certificates will be awarded to all attendees.