MENTAL ILLNESS
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM & THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Royal College of Psychiatrists TV
Neuroinflammation & Psychosis (2018)
Abstract
Microglia, the tissue-resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), have characterized roles in combating infection, clearing cellular debris, and maintaining tissue homeostasis.
In addition to these typical immunological roles, microglia have been revealed to be active players in complex neurodevelopmental programs such as neurogenesis and synaptic pruning, during which they interact with neurons and macroglia to provide trophic support, respond to cytokine, and metabolic signals derived from the local neural environment, and drive the refinement of functional neuronal circuits.
Microglia appear to be developmentally regulated by the host microbiome, and have been shown to dynamically respond to metabolic products from gut microbiota in a sex-dependent manner.
Due to their constant surveillance of the brain parenchyma, involvement in development, and salient reactivity to both peripheral immune and microbiome-derived signals, microglia may additionally serve as a key cellular intermediate linking neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia with microbiota influences in models of maternal immune activation (MIA).
This review examines both well-established and emerging literature and perspectives on microglia in the context of neurodevelopment, with a particular emphasis on the role of the host microbiome in influencing microglial function during health and disease states.
Affiliations
- 1Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
- 2Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
University of Cambridge (2014)
Affective Immunology
Affective immunology: where emotions and the immune response converge
“Recent compelling evidence has shown that the emotional and immunological systems share more than a similarity of functions.
“This review article will discuss the crosstalk between these two systems and the need for a new scientific area of research called affective immunology.
“Research in this field will allow a better understanding and appreciation of the immunological basis of mental disorders and the emotional side of immune diseases.”
Bioactive lipids as modulators of immunity, inflammation and emotions.
When The Immune System Attacks The Brain
– Antineuronal Antibodies Discovered in a Case of Mania
“This video is about a clinical that provides further compelling evidence for the role of autoimmune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders and the need for vigilance for autoimmunity in psychiatric practice.
“The poor response to psychotropics, followed by a good response to immunosuppressants, the presence of antineuronal antibodies indicates immune dysfunction and is consistent with synaptic encephalitis.
“Dr. Sanil Rege is a Consultant Psychiatrist and co-founder of Psych Scene and Vita Healthcare.”
Neuroscience News (2018)
In one of the biggest breakthroughs in schizophrenia research in recent times, Professor Cynthia Shannon Weickert from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Sydney has identified immune cells in greater amounts in the brains of some people with schizophrenia.
Prof Sir Robert Lechler, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
"The Immune System Does Produce Behavior"
———–Prof Sir Robert Lechler, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences,
United Kingdom
The Telegraph
“Inflammation is the normal response of your body’s immune system to injuries and harmful things that enter your body. “
Disorders Share Risk Gene Pathways for Immune, Epigenetic Regulation
Genome-wide findings add to evidence blurring traditional psychiatric categories
Genes that confer risk for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression most strongly work through pathways involved in the process of histone methylation, an epigenetic mechanism that regulates the switching on-or-off of genes in response to environment and experience.
Disruption in these pathways prenatally could adversely affect brain development, suggest the researchers.
Epigenetics and Autoimmune Disease
Approximately 1 in every 5 Americans has an autoimmune disease – that’s 20% of the entire population, according to American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA).
Autoimmune disorders are characterized as abnormal immune response in which the immune system is unable to distinguish between foreign invaders and its own cells and therefore begins attacking the very cells that work to protect the body.
There are over 80 different autoimmune diseases and some of the most common include Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac, and multiple sclerosis.
"The key issue . . . is what's driving the mental ill health is not so much a change in the brain, but a change in the immune system, an auto-immune disease that's causing the aberrant behaviour,"
————Professor Ian Hickie of the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, Australia
ABC News Australia
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM & MENTAL ILLNESS
pnainfo (2010)
The Emotional Side of Pituitary and Hormonal Disorders