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Neuroinflammatory Mechanisms Linking Pain and Depression
Modern Trends in Pharmacopsychiatry
|October 6, 2015
Summary
Neuroimmune alterations may link depression and chronic pain, impacting brain regions involved in emotion and pain processing. These changes contribute to the debilitating symptoms of this common comorbidity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Immunology
Background:
- Depression and chronic pain frequently co-occur, creating a disabling and costly comorbidity.
- Existing research suggests neural substrates underlie this association, with growing evidence for neuroimmune involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review clinical and preclinical data on neuroimmune alterations in depression-pain comorbidity.
- To propose how neuroimmune changes affect brain regions controlling emotional and pain processing.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical studies.
- Analysis of preclinical research data.
- Synthesis of findings on neuroimmune mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Significant evidence supports a role for neuroimmune alterations in the depression-pain dyad.
- Neuroimmune changes are implicated in the dysfunction of brain areas processing emotion and nociception.
Conclusions:
- Neuroimmune mechanisms are key players in the comorbidity of depression and chronic pain.
- Altered neuroimmune function contributes to the behavioral, psychological, and physical symptoms observed in patients.
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