As one of the world's major public health events, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the incidence of mental disorders through viral infection and various social isolation policies. Furthermore, chronic inflammation and excessive immune activation, caused by viral infections such as HIV, HCV, influenza viruses, human endogenous retroviruses, and herpesviruses, have been shown to result in central nervous system dysfunction, behavioral alterations, cognitive impairment, and even mental disorders, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic disorders, sleep disorders, internet addiction. However, the long-term psychiatric implications of nervous system dysfunction related to viral infections are still largely unexplored.
The goal of this Research Topic is to explore the current status, challenges, and impact of viral infections in mental health research. This Research Topic will assess recent progress in viral infections and psychiatry and also assess how the field will develop in the coming decades. In particular, we aim to evaluate the use of novel methodologies in neuroscience, such as multimodal magnetic resonance, optogenetic technology, and electrophysiological techniques, and their role in understanding the pathogenesis of virus infection and mental health in the post-pandemic era. A comprehensive interdisciplinary research framework involving infectious diseases, immunology, and biology is needed to understand the complexity of mental diseases.
We welcome the submission of manuscripts (research article, brief research article, mini-review, and review) focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Psychiatric disorders in the long COVID-19 era
• Role of inflammation in viral infections and mental health
• Recent advances regarding viral infections and mental health
• Potential biomarkers of viral infections in patients with psychiatric disorders
• Interventions that improve mental health following viral infections
As one of the world's major public health events, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the incidence of mental disorders through viral infection and various social isolation policies. Furthermore, chronic inflammation and excessive immune activation, caused by viral infections such as HIV, HCV, influenza viruses, human endogenous retroviruses, and herpesviruses, have been shown to result in central nervous system dysfunction, behavioral alterations, cognitive impairment, and even mental disorders, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic disorders, sleep disorders, internet addiction. However, the long-term psychiatric implications of nervous system dysfunction related to viral infections are still largely unexplored.
The goal of this Research Topic is to explore the current status, challenges, and impact of viral infections in mental health research. This Research Topic will assess recent progress in viral infections and psychiatry and also assess how the field will develop in the coming decades. In particular, we aim to evaluate the use of novel methodologies in neuroscience, such as multimodal magnetic resonance, optogenetic technology, and electrophysiological techniques, and their role in understanding the pathogenesis of virus infection and mental health in the post-pandemic era. A comprehensive interdisciplinary research framework involving infectious diseases, immunology, and biology is needed to understand the complexity of mental diseases.
We welcome the submission of manuscripts (research article, brief research article, mini-review, and review) focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Psychiatric disorders in the long COVID-19 era
• Role of inflammation in viral infections and mental health
• Recent advances regarding viral infections and mental health
• Potential biomarkers of viral infections in patients with psychiatric disorders
• Interventions that improve mental health following viral infections
