The Neuroimmunological Basis of Behavior and Mental Disorders


Book Description

For many years, the immune and central nervous systems were thought to function independently with little or no interaction between the two. This view has und- gone dramatic changes over the past three decades. Indeed, we now know that there exists various feedback loops between the brain and immune systems that impact signi cantly upon different behavioral processes, including normal behavior and mental disorders. Pioneering efforts in generating this change were initiated by a number of early investigators. Included were those whose efforts were directed at establishing neuroimmune connections as well as others whose research focused upon the relationship between immunity, cytokines, and behavior. This book brings together outstanding scientists and clinicians who have made major contributions to the rapidly developing eld investigating the relationship between immunity and behavior. The book is divided into three parts. The rst part describes pathways by which the brain and immune systems communicate and int- act with each other. In the chapter “Cytokines and the Blood–Brain Barrier” p- vides insight into interactions between the blood–brain barrier and cytokines. Such interactions underlie basic communication between the immune system and brain that are present in normal as well as in disease conditions. In the chapter “Neu- chemical and Endocrine Responses to Immune Activation: The Role of Cytokines,” the neurochemical and endocrine consequences of immune challenge and cytokine administration on central neurotransmitter activity are discussed.




Cytokines, Stress, and Depression


Book Description

Cytokines had been characterized in the early eighties as communication mole cules between immune cells, and between immunocytes and other peripheral cells, such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells. They play a key role in the regulation of the immune response and the coordination of the host response to infection. Based on these biological properties, nobody would have predicted that one decade later cytokines would burst upon neurosciences and permeate into several avenues of current research. In neurology, the connection between cytokines and inflammation, and the demonstration of a pivotal role of some of these molecules in cell death by apoptosis, prompted the investigation of their involvement in several neurological diseases involving an inflammatory component, including multiple sclerosis, brain trauma, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. This movement started in the late eighties, and the corresponding field of research, known as neuroimmunology, is presently booming. In psychiatry, however, the relationship between cytokines and mental disorders was much less evident and took longer to materialize. The first indication that cytokines might be involved in psychopathology came from cancerology and internal medicine.




Neurobiology of Cytokines


Book Description

Neurobiology of Cytokines, Part A provides an overview of the effects of cytokines in the brain and in the endocrine system. The book discusses the general aspects of cytokines, including the endogenous agonists and antagonists, their receptors, their second messengers, and transport mechanisms for cytokines across the blood-brain barrier. The text also describes the anatomical localization of cytokines, cytokine receptors, and their respective mRNA in brain and in endocrine tissues. The methods for evaluating the in vivo as well as in vitro actions of cytokines on hormone secretion are also considered. The book further tackles the synthesis and release of cytokines and their central nervous system actions; and the methodology for studying the role of cytokines in human neuropathological conditions.




Neuroscience in the 21st Century


Book Description

Edited and authored by a wealth of international experts in neuroscience and related disciplines, this key new resource aims to offer medical students and graduate researchers around the world a comprehensive introduction and overview of modern neuroscience. Neuroscience research is certain to prove a vital element in combating mental illness in its various incarnations, a strategic battleground in the future of medicine, as the prevalence of mental disorders is becoming better understood each year. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by mental, behavioral, neurological and substance use disorders. The World Health Organization estimated in 2002 that 154 million people globally suffer from depression and 25 million people from schizophrenia; 91 million people are affected by alcohol use disorders and 15 million by drug use disorders. A more recent WHO report shows that 50 million people suffer from epilepsy and 24 million from Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Because neuroscience takes the etiology of disease—the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors—as its object of inquiry, it is increasingly valuable in understanding an array of medical conditions. A recent report by the United States’ Surgeon General cites several such diseases: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, early-onset depression, autism, attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, anorexia nervosa, and panic disorder, among many others. Not only is this volume a boon to those wishing to understand the future of neuroscience, it also aims to encourage the initiation of neuroscience programs in developing countries, featuring as it does an appendix full of advice on how to develop such programs. With broad coverage of both basic science and clinical issues, comprising around 150 chapters from a diversity of international authors and including complementary video components, Neuroscience in the 21st Century in its second edition serves as a comprehensive resource to students and researchers alike.




The Autoimmune Brain


Book Description

There are millions of people who experience issues related to brain health—depression, attention issues, anxiety, forgetfulness, fatigue, and even chronic pain—yet can’t figure out what’s causing their problems and can’t find any relief. They may have seen a myriad of doctors, many of whom do not take their complaints seriously, or worse, turn to the easy, often inappropriate fix of antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications. Traditional medications, supplements, or other therapies haven’t worked. No matter what their age—from children to teens or seniors—people and their loved ones are frustrated, scared, and confused by their continued poor health. Countless others display severe psychiatric symptoms that seem to come out of nowhere, ranging from tics, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and anxiety, to depression, bipolar-like mood swings, and even borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideas. Sometimes, the people affected are the only ones that notices a change to the way they think or feel, and they suffer in silence. Or, they reach out to try to get help, and are all too frequently misdiagnosed. David Younger, a world-renowned physician, provides relief to these patients and their families. His diagnostic techniques and treatment protocols will help readers identify the true cause of their symptoms and put them on a clear path to healing so they no longer feel unbalanced, out of control, forgetful, and exhausted. The Autoimmune Brain connects common brain health symptoms to the changes in the immune system, and particularly bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections. Younger explains his groundbreaking research and adds a new component: how traumatic stress (whether physical or emotional) and genetics affects this same triad as inextricable factors in initiating disease and brain health symptoms. In fact, a change in personality, behavior, coping style, and one’s emotional state may be the first clue that there is a health problem brewing somewhere else in the body. Readers will find new answers to troubling conditions, including: Alzheimer’s disease; Anxiety; Arthritis; Autism; Autonomic disturbances; Bacterial and viral infections; Bipolar Disorder; Cancer; Celiac disease and gluten intolerances; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (now referred to as Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease); Chronic Pain; Dementia; Depression; Endocrine Disorders; Immune modulatory therapy using IVIg; Lyme disease and co-infections; Mast cell activation syndrome; Medical cannabis; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Orthostatic hypotension; Peripheral Neuropathy; Porphyria; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; and Postural orthostatic tachycardia.




Neurobiology of Cytokines, Part B


Book Description

Recent data suggest a critical role for cytokines in the regulation of brain and endocrine function under normal physiological conditions. The aim of this volume and its companion Volume 16 is to provide an overview of the effects of cytokines in the brain and in the endocrine system. - Methods presented for easy adaptation to new systems - Comprehensive protocols included for: The synthesis and release of cytokines; The study of their central nervous system actions; Studying the role of cytokines in human neuropathological conditions




The Dentate Gyrus: A Comprehensive Guide to Structure, Function, and Clinical Implications


Book Description

The dentate gyrus is a part of the brain that has been a topic of intense interest since the beginning of neuroscience, and pioneering studies from the distant and recent past attest to this. One of the reasons for such interest is that this structure provides some of the most remarkable examples of plasticity within the nervous system. In addition, it is critical to normal cognitive function, although exactly how and when is still a question that eludes answers. Furthermore, abnormalities within the dentate gyrus appear to play a role in diverse clinical conditions, from depression to epilepsy and traumatic brain injury. The primary goal of this book is to provide a context, or background, upon which the detailed knowledge of the current era can be appreciated. A series of overviews are provided to clarify essentials related to structural organization and development, cellular components, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, plasticity, and clinical relevance. * Covers the topic comprehensively from anatomy to cellular and systems perspectives* Includes basic research and addresses translational implications, so it will be useful to both researchers in the laboratory and clinicians who conduct experiments in humans* Chapters provide fundamentals, but also details and ample references for further review of the topic




Cytokines in the Nervous System


Book Description




Itch


Book Description

Advances in itch research have elucidated differences between itch and pain but have also blurred the distinction between them. There is a long debate about how somatic sensations including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity are encoded by the nervous system. Research suggests that each sensory modality is processed along a fixed, direct-line communication system from the skin to the brain. Itch: Mechanisms and Treatment presents a timely update on all aspects of itch research and the clinical treatment of itch that accompanies many dermatological conditions including psoriasis, neuropathic itch, cutaneous t-cells lymphomas, and systemic diseases such as kidney and liver disease and cancer. Composed of contributions from distinguished researchers around the world, the book explores topics such as: Neuropathic itch Peripheral neuronal mechanism of itch The role of PAR-2 in neuroimmune communication and itch Mrgprs as itch receptors The role of interleukin-31 and oncostatin M in itch and neuroimmune communication Spinal coding of itch and pain Spinal microcircuits and the regulation of itch Examining new findings on cellular and molecular mechanisms, the book is a compendium of the most current research on itch, its prevalence in society, and the problems associated with treatment.




Cytokines and the CNS


Book Description

Provides Insight into How Cytokine Action Impacts the Physiology and Pathology of the CNS. As with the first edition of Cytokines and the CNS, this completely updated and revised edition introduces neurobiologists to cytokine biology and immunologists to the unique functions of cytokines in CNS physiology. The dramatically accelerating interest in cytokines and cytokine/chemokine signaling over the past several years has encouraged an explosion of literature on cytokines. The similarity between factors involved in inflammation or immunity, and those implicated in neural development, physiology, and repair has become so apparent that familiarity with cytokines must now be considered an essential element in the neurobiologist’s cognitive tool-kit. Conversely, for immunobiologists, the concepts elaborated by neurobiologists to understand developmental patterning and networked organ function continue to evolve in such a way that comprehension of cytokine action in the CNS can only enhance a further understanding of immune system function. Cytokines and the CNS, Second Edition is patterned after the first edition; however, the wealth of knowledge now available adds a tremendous amount of insight and new implications. To guarantee a fresh perspective, the editors made a conscious choice to utilize an entirely new set of contributors, all experts in various aspects of cytokine research. Cytokines and the CNS, Second Edition starts with a chapter on the CNS, focusing on pathological reactions to insult. Next, come three chapters on cytokine biology, followed by four chapters that integrate cytokine biology into basic CNS processes (development; inflammation; immunity; degeneration/repair), after which five chapters apply this body of knowledge to disease or pathology. The book closes with a look at the application of cytokine biology to the treatment of disease, a brand new area of research.