Imaging the Role of Inflammation in Mood and Anxiety-related Disorders

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jennifer Felger, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2018-01-01
• Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2018 Bentham Science Publishers.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X15666171123201142
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Current Neuropharmacology
• ISSN: 1570-159X
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 533
• End Page: 558
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by funds from the National Institute of Mental Health (R21MH106904), National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH 109637) and the Dana Foundation (CADF49143).; In addition, the study was supported in part by PHS Grants UL1TR000454 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award program, by Winship Cancer Institute ACS IRG #126815-IRG-14-188-01-IRG from the American Cancer Society and by the NIH/NCI under award number P30CA138292.
• Keywords: POSITRON-EMISSION-TOMOGRAPHY; motivation; Neurosciences; POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER; microglia; Neurosciences & Neurology; Pharmacology & Pharmacy; DECREASED PSYCHOMOTOR SPEED; Science & Technology; PTSD; MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER; inflammation; C-REACTIVE PROTEIN; depression; TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR; ANTERIOR CINGULATE ACTIVATION; cytokines; CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM; SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITOR; motor slowing; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; SYNAPTOSOMAL GLUTAMATE RELEASE; Neuroimaging; anxiety
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Oncology; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

Background: Studies investigating the impact of a variety of inflammatory stimuli on the brain and behavior have reported evidence that inflammation and release of inflammatory cytokines affect circuitry relevant to both reward and threat sensitivity to contribute to behavioral change. Of relevance to mood and anxiety-related disorders, biomarkers of inflammation such as inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins are reliably elevated in a significant proportion of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: This review summarized clinical and translational work demonstrating the impact of peripheral inflammation on brain regions and neurotransmitter systems relevant to both reward and threat sensitivity, with a focus on neuroimaging studies involving administration of inflammatory stimuli. Recent translation of these findings to further understand the role of inflammation in mood and anxiety-related disorders is also discussed. Results: Inflammation was consistently found to affect basal ganglia and cortical reward and motor circuits to drive reduced motivation and motor activity, as well as anxiety-related brain regions including amygdala, insula and anterior cingulate cortex, which may result from cytokine effects on monoamines and glutamate. Similar relationships between inflammation and altered neurocircuitry have been observed in MDD patients with increased peripheral inflammatory markers, and such work is on the horizon for anxiety disorders and PTSD. Conclusion: Neuroimaging effects of inflammation on reward and threat circuitry may be used as biomarkers of inflammation for future development of novel therapeutic strategies to better treat mood and anxiety-related disorders in patients with high inflammation.