About this Research Topic
The immune system response in its origin is a survival mechanism, its main objective being the maintenance of the homeostasis of the organism. Thus, the inflammatory response is necessary to combat possible infections or damage to the organism or tissues. This protective function can disappear when this system reacts in a disproportionate or aberrant manner, causing undesired effects.
Although inflammation has generally been considered as a response to an external agent, there is now evidence supporting the relationship between psychological stress (such as trauma or chronic stressful events) and inflammation even in the absence of external agents or physical injury. These findings underline the fact that external events, or even the subject's experience or perception of them, can induce molecular changes.
The association between affective problems, and more specifically depression, and the inflammatory response was established decades ago, but it is in recent years that it has gained more interest. Thus, a large part of the studies on the pathophysiology of depression have focused on the involvement of the immune system and the inflammatory process in this disease, with the search for specific biomarkers for personalized treatment as a primary objective.
In addition to affective problems, other mental disorders have been related to immunometabolic alterations, and it is essential to continue research in this field. Although there is already scientific evidence on the relationship between mental disorders and immunometabolic alterations, this topic is raised because there are still many unknowns to be solved: do all patients with depression or other mental disorders have immunometabolic alterations? Or on the contrary:
• is there a specific endophenotype
• are all patients with immunometabolic diseases more at risk for depression
• are there differences if we take into account the sex of the patients
• what biomarkers could be used consistently from the clinical point of view
• what treatments could be the most effective for patients with high levels of proinflammatory cytokines, etc.?
Original papers, systematic reviews and meta-analyses analyzing associations between immunometabolic status and mental health problems (i.e., depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder...) at any stage of life will be accepted. Clinical trials that include a study sample and a control sample will also be considered. Papers that perform analysis with predictive models using machine learning techniques will be of special interest. Animal and patient studies will be accepted.
Although inflammation has generally been considered as a response to an external agent, there is now evidence supporting the relationship between psychological stress (such as trauma or chronic stressful events) and inflammation even in the absence of external agents or physical injury. These findings underline the fact that external events, or even the subject's experience or perception of them, can induce molecular changes.
The association between affective problems, and more specifically depression, and the inflammatory response was established decades ago, but it is in recent years that it has gained more interest. Thus, a large part of the studies on the pathophysiology of depression have focused on the involvement of the immune system and the inflammatory process in this disease, with the search for specific biomarkers for personalized treatment as a primary objective.
In addition to affective problems, other mental disorders have been related to immunometabolic alterations, and it is essential to continue research in this field. Although there is already scientific evidence on the relationship between mental disorders and immunometabolic alterations, this topic is raised because there are still many unknowns to be solved: do all patients with depression or other mental disorders have immunometabolic alterations? Or on the contrary:
• is there a specific endophenotype
• are all patients with immunometabolic diseases more at risk for depression
• are there differences if we take into account the sex of the patients
• what biomarkers could be used consistently from the clinical point of view
• what treatments could be the most effective for patients with high levels of proinflammatory cytokines, etc.?
Original papers, systematic reviews and meta-analyses analyzing associations between immunometabolic status and mental health problems (i.e., depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder...) at any stage of life will be accepted. Clinical trials that include a study sample and a control sample will also be considered. Papers that perform analysis with predictive models using machine learning techniques will be of special interest. Animal and patient studies will be accepted.
Keywords: Inflammation, Metabolic Syndrome, Mental Disorders, Affective Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia
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