Dr. O'Leary discusses his critical perspective on Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and argues that ODD is not a primary diagnosis but rather a risk syndrome, a set of symptoms (defiance, irritability, and vindictiveness) resulting from various underlying conditions like ADHD, anxiety, or trauma. He explains that conceptualizing ODD as a stand-alone disorder often leads to the risky treatment pathway of off-label antipsychotic medication, whereas recognizing it as a syndrome necessitat...
Jun 17
31 min
Neuroplasticity is a real thing that is shrouded in mythology and used by companies to market products, but what do we actually know about neuroplasticity? Please leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com or send any comments to [email protected]. References and readings (when available) are posted at the end of each episode transcript, located at psydactic.buzzsprout.com. All opinions expressed in this podcast are exclusively those of the person speaking and should not be confu...
Jun 4
33 min
Dr. Grant Brenner joins Dr. O'Leary to explore the fascinating intersection of human psychology, physics, psychotherapy and artificial intelligence. We discuss Active Inference and The Free Energy Principle along side how babies develop a sense of self and so much more. Please leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com or send any comments to [email protected]. References and readings (when available) are posted at the end of each episode transcript, located at psydactic.buzzspro...
May 9
1 hr 29 min
Is it possible to house multiple alternate selves within the same brain? Dr. O'Leary argues that it is not only possible, but under certain conditions it is likely to happen. Dissociative Identity Disorder is discussed not as a "shattering of the self," but instead as a failure to integrate the self during development. Dr. O'Leary explores different biologically and computationally plausible models to explain how the self might fail to integrate during the normal proce...
Mar 6
38 min
Dr. O'Leary explores the neuroscience of dissociation, defining it as a degenerate concept that refers to a wide range of functional disconnections within the brain rather than a single clinical entity. The discussion moves from the standard medical definitions—such as depersonalization, derealization, and amnesia—toward a broader view of dissociation as a neurobiological defense mechanism that uses sensory attenuation to manage background noise and overwhelming trauma. By examining how speci...
Feb 3
34 min
In December 2025, the FDA authorized the Flow F100, an innovative at-home wearable headset that utilizes transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to treat major depressive disorder. Unlike traditional pharmaceuticals that act systemically, this device targets the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with localized electricity to modulate neuronal excitability and address the asymmetry hypothesis of depression. While the Empower study that evaluated this technology demonstrated statistic...
Jan 5
48 min
PsyDactic welcomes The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting co-author, Kevin Zollman who discusses game theory as the science of strategic thinking. We explore how mathematical models like the Prisoner’s Dilemma and mechanism design can be used to manage family dynamics by creating win-win solutions rather than competitive, zero-sum outcomes. The conversation highlights practical techniques such as "I cut, you pick" for fairness, the importance of making credible threats that parents are actual...
Dec 28, 2025
1 hr
Dr. O'Leary proposes Childhood Deficit Disorder as a way to conceptualize the rise in mental health issues among modern youth, exploring how systemic changes in culture and environment contribute. He contrasts the "free-range" parenting style prior to the 1980s, which fostered autonomy and resilience, with the modern trend of intensive, managerial parenting driven by economic anxiety and a "culture of fear" fueled by media. Dr. O'Leary explores how children's independent mobility has plummete...
Dec 10, 2025
33 min
Dr. O'Leary explores the history of clozapine, highlighting its initial revolutionary impact as the first atypical antipsychotic, followed by a ban on its use, followed by its re-emergences as a strictly monitored medication, and then culminating in new recommendations that greatly encourage its use. The discussion details the severe side effects that led to its initial discontinuation, and then emphasizes other critical but often overlooked adverse effects, such as metabolic syndrome, ...
Sep 5, 2025
24 min
This episode includes a fascinating interview with a researcher in ultrasound, Dr. Michael Canney who is an acoustics researcher the chief scientific officer at a French company named Carthera (https://carthera.eu/) and they make ultrasound devices that can disrupt the blood-brain barrier in order to let medicines into the brain that otherwise could only get through in very small amounts. We talk more broadly about the explosion of various applications of ultrasound beyond imaging, including...
Jun 11, 2025
44 min
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