Influence of the Immune System on the Mind and Psychological Well being

Most know that neurons in circuits in the brain send neurotransmitter signals to each other. My new book, The secret language of the cells, shows that similar conversations take place between all cells in the body and that these far-reaching conversations govern all physiological functions. While the book contains numerous examples of this cellular communication – such as capillary cells, which send directional signals for white blood cells to find an infection, and capillaries, which direct stem cells to make certain cells for the brain, this article focuses on a few ways that cellular can be Conversations between immune cells and brain cells affect mental health.

Two-way cellular conversations between traveling immune cells and stationary brain cells use signals that are sent as molecules or molecules in sacs and secreted into tissues, blood vessels, and cerebrospinal fluid. The signals can have a strong influence on general perception and memory and are closely related to depression and pain as well as reactions to stress.

For many of the most important influences on the brain, signals are sent by T cells moving in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). These T-cell signals are transmitted to certain regions of the brain by special lining cells in the chamber in which the liquor is located. T-cell signals sent to brain cells in CSF can affect many aspects of perception and behavior. For example, when we have a fever, T cells send signals to the brain to create the "feeling of illness" so that we slow down and take care of ourselves. When the infection is over, T cells send a different type of signal, using impulses from secreted molecules that tell the brain to restart and maintain normal sensing.

In adults, a small number of new neurons are regularly produced in the memory center of the hippocampus. These new neurons are critical to creating new memories. Research has shown that depression correlates with decreased production of these neurons, which can lead to the decrease in memory that is common with depression. However, it was not clear how this happened. It is now known that signals from T cells alter the production of new brain cells and therefore can increase or decrease memory performance. During depression, T cells signal that fewer new brain cells need to be made, which leads to a reduction in memory. These signals also affect the generalized inflammation throughout the body that is common with depression. When the depression is treated with medication, ECT, psychotherapy, etc., immune signals begin again to stimulate increased production of new neurons, better memory, and decreased inflammation. A better understanding of these signals could lead to entirely new treatments for depression.

Stress is another situation that is signaled between the immune system and the brain. While short-term stress can help by triggering increased learning and increased production of neurons in the memory centers, long-term stress does the opposite and can cause harmful inflammation and decreased memory. Both brain cells and immune cells perceive stress. In a similar mechanism to depression, T cells send signals during long-term stress that cause inflammation and reduce the production of new neurons for memory.

As immune cells move around the body, they have many ways of sending signals back and forth with neurons and other supporting brain cells. For example, a T-cell – the main immune regulator – can secrete molecular signals directly into the tissue, which then travels to the nerves. When the signal is picked up by the neuron, it can be passed on through brain circuits, which can then influence various other organs. This creates a mechanism in which an acupuncture needle or electrical stimulus triggers a local T-cell – for example, in nearby wrist tissue, but not in a blood vessel or nerve. When the T-cell is triggered by the acupuncture stimuli, it sends a signal into the tissue that travels to a nearby neuron, which then sends another signal through brain circuits that causes the acupuncture effect in a distant area of ​​the body.

All of the brain and mental health effects outlined above occur due to sophisticated back-and-forth communication between T cells and the brain. In my book The secret language of the cellsThere are detailed explanations for the multitude of conversations that different cells of the body have with brain cells. There is a discussion of the different types of signals that occur between neurons and the three types of supportive brain cells (astrocytes, microglia and oligodendrocytes). Another area of ​​research described in the book concerns chronic pain. New The results show that chronic pain syndromes correlate with very large, multifaceted synapses and circuits that contain many more connections than ever before. Conversations in these complex multicellular synapses and circuits encompass a wide range of cells, including neurons, the three supportive brain cells, immune cells, and even organ lining cells and microbes. Based on the discovery of these new types of synapses and signals, entirely new treatments for pain, depression and harmful stress will be developed.

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