Sections
Brain–Immune System Interactions: Relevance to the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Neuropsychiatric
Disorders: Introduction | The Immune System: An Overview | Brain to Body: Central Nervous System Effects on
the Immune System | Mediating Pathways | Body to Brain: Immune System Effects on Central Nervous
System Functioning | Psychopharmacological Implications of Brain–Immune
System Interactions | References
Excerpt
Although once considered heresy, the notion
that meaningful interactions occur between the brain and the immune
system has become scientific dogma. This change in scientific orthodoxy
results from more than 30 years of research demonstrating that brain-mediated events,
such as psychological stress and depression, can alter peripheral
immune system functioning and, conversely, that changes in peripheral
immune functioning, such as those that occur during illness, can
profoundly affect the brain, leading to clinically meaningful changes
in mood, anxiety, and cognition. In this chapter, we provide an
overview of brain–immune system interactions that are of
potential relevance to the field of psychiatry.