Book contents
- Cambridge Textbook Of Neuroscience for Psychiatrists
- Reviews
- Cambridge Textbook of Neuroscience for Psychiatrists
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Introduction
- 1 Cells
- 2 Neurotransmitters and Receptors
- 3 Basic Techniques in Neuroscience
- 4 Neuroanatomy
- 5 Neural Circuits
- 6 Modulators
- 6.1 The Hypothalamic–Pituitary (Neuroendocrine) Axis
- 6.2 The Stress Response and Glucocorticoids
- 6.3 Adrenal Steroids
- 6.4 Inflammation and Immune Responses
- 7 Genetics
- 8 Neurodevelopment and Neuroplasticity
- 9 Integrated Neurobiology of Specific Syndromes and Treatments
- 10 Neurodegeneration
- Index
- References
6.4 - Inflammation and Immune Responses
from 6 - Modulators
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 November 2023
- Cambridge Textbook Of Neuroscience for Psychiatrists
- Reviews
- Cambridge Textbook of Neuroscience for Psychiatrists
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Introduction
- 1 Cells
- 2 Neurotransmitters and Receptors
- 3 Basic Techniques in Neuroscience
- 4 Neuroanatomy
- 5 Neural Circuits
- 6 Modulators
- 6.1 The Hypothalamic–Pituitary (Neuroendocrine) Axis
- 6.2 The Stress Response and Glucocorticoids
- 6.3 Adrenal Steroids
- 6.4 Inflammation and Immune Responses
- 7 Genetics
- 8 Neurodevelopment and Neuroplasticity
- 9 Integrated Neurobiology of Specific Syndromes and Treatments
- 10 Neurodegeneration
- Index
- References
Summary
Multiple psychiatric disorders have been associated with abnormalities in the immune system and evidence from human and animal studies suggests that the immune system is likely to be implicated in the pathogenesis of these disorders, at least in a subset of patients. However, our understanding of how the immune system contributes to symptoms in humans is in its infancy. Moreover, translating this new understanding to improved clinical care will require biomarkers of immune dysfunction that allow us to identify which patients might benefit from alternative immunomodulatory treatment approaches. Following a brief primer on the immune system and its relationship to the brain, this chapter summarises the immune abnormalities associated with psychiatric disorders in case–control studies, outlines the evidence for a causal contribution of immunopathology to psychiatric conditions and considers possible sources of the observed inflammation.
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- Information
- Cambridge Textbook of Neuroscience for Psychiatrists , pp. 316 - 325Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023