Is there an association between peripheral immune markers and structural/functional neuroimaging findings?

There is mounting evidence that inflammatory processes play a key role in emotional as well as cognitive dysfunctions. In this context, research employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MR spectroscopy) suggests a possible link between structural/functional anomalies in the brain and an increase of circulating inflammation markers. The present paper reviews this research, with particular focus on major depressive disorder (MDD), cognitive impairment in older adults, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia.

In MDD, cognitive impairment and AD, inflammatory processes have been found to be associated with both structural and functional anomalies, perhaps under the influence of environmental stress. Not enough research can suggest similar considerations in schizophrenia, although studies in mice and non-human primates support the belief that inflammatory responses generated during pregnancy can affect brain development and contribute to the etiology of schizophrenia.

The present review suggests a link between inflammatory processes and MRI detected anomalies in the brain of individuals with MDD, older adults with cognitive impairment as well as of individuals with AD and schizophrenia.