Inflammation and Depression: the Neuroimmune Connection

Abstract

Purpose of review: To update clinicians on the field of psychoneuroimmunology with respect to depression.

Recent findings: A significant subset of patients with depression may have illness to which dysfunction of the immune system, typically viewed as inflammation, makes a significant contribution. Normal sickness behavior may sometimes manifest abnormally as mood episodes. Early evidence suggests that interventions that reduce inflammation may improve symptoms in these patients and that they may also respond differently to standard pharmacotherapy.

Summary: Treatment of patients with depression should consider inflammatory status, as part of medical and psychiatric health. Recommendations for healthy diet and exercise are important for all patients but may be more important for patients who have clinical evidence of inflammation. Methods of identifying patients in the inflammatory subgroup and treating them with therapy targeted specifically at the immune system are still experimental but likely to impact care for depression in the future.