Affiliations: Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und
Verhaltensimmunbiologie, Universitätsklinik Essen, Universität
Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen | Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle
Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinik Essen, 45122
Essen
Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Jennifer Kullmann, Institut für
Medizinische Psychologie und Verhaltensimmunbiologie, Universitätsklinik
Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45122 Essen.
Tel.: +49 201 723 85516, Fax: +49 201 723 5948, E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Systemic inflammatory processes induced by infectious diseases,
sepsis or chronic inflammatory auto-immune diseases can affect mood,
neuropsychological functions and behavior. Typically, those behavioral changes
include symptoms such as psychomotor slowing, social withdrawal, anhedonia and
depressed mood, and are collectively termed "sickness behavior". It is believed
that the increased release of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and hormones
are mediating these behavioral effects and that peripheral cytokines are
involved in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as
depression and schizophrenia. In humans, the effects of an acute systemic
inflammatory response on neuropsychological function can be experimentally
analyzed by administering bacterial endotoxins. This review provides an
overview of studies in humans investigating the effects of experimentally
induced inflammation on cognitive and emotional parameters and corresponding
neural activities within the CNS. In addition, possible signaling pathways are
outlined, of how information from the peripheral immune system is transmitted
to the CNS during peripheral inflammation.
