Lecture 31; Psychoneuroimmunology Flashcards
What does the immune system also do?
Sense the microbial world
Parallel features to the CNS
Immune system as ‘mobile brain’ - links to CNS and alters what is going on there.
How well are the nervous system and immune system connected?
There are a large number of interconnections.
‘bi-directional information highway’
Both influence one another
What is the neuroimmune network?
Three interlinking pathways; (Highly integrated)
ANS (nerves)
Endocrine system (Hormones)
Immune system (Cytokines) (Nueroimmune hormones)
All interlinked
Note* All Primary and Secondary lymphoid organs are innervated by nerves.
Therefore how we think, feel, behave might influence all these characteristics. (Psycho-neuro-immunology)
What is sickness behaviour?
Common symptoms and behaviours;
- Dont want to exercise
- Dont want to eat
- Dont want to be social
Symptoms;
- Temperature rises
- Pain sensitivity
- Touch sensitivity
- Wish to sleep more
- Desire nurturing
- Perceptions change (tend to catastrophise things)
Is sickness unique to a pathogen or species?
No, found across all species regardless of pathogen
What was the suggested reason for these behaviours and causes of them?
Early signalling in the inflammatory response promotes these behaviours as they improve outcomes.
Promoted by inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, TNFα)
These control the neurophysiology in an adaptive way b/c it is useful
What does IL1 do on the nervous system?
- Promotes sickness behaviours
- Increases body temperature
- Increases slow wave sleep
How does IL1 achieve this changes in the nervous system?
- Acts on vagus nerve branches
- Secreted by astrocytes and glial cells (Can act as neurotransmitter)
- Stimulates astroglial proliferation
- Neurotransmitter activity in brain
What is a medical instance where they find altered behaviour post inflammation?
Post Surgical fatigue
Subset of patients have it last far longer
Describe the post surgical fatigue study;
Colorectal surgery patients Fatigue measure (Pen and paper rubic)
24-hour abdominal drain fluid
• Cytokine concentrations (Local)
What cytokines were measured and what did they find?
TNFa
IL6
IL10
Those with higher levels of the cytokines 24hrs post operation had their post surgical fatigue last way longer.
Influence neuroimmune network for long lasting effects
Whats the take home message of the post surgical fatigue study?
More peritoneal cytokines, longer-lasting fatigue
What happens to neurons in the hypothalamus during antibody response?
Neural firing rates:
Increase during peak antibody response
What happens if neurons in the hypothalamus were electrically stimulated?
Electrical stimulation:
Enhances antibody response
What happened to immune function if the brain was lesioned?
Anterior lobe lesions:
- Depress antibody responses
- Alter NK activity
- Alter T cell function