Citation

Brydon L, Harrison NA, Walker C, Steptoe A, Critchley HD. Biol. Psychiatry 2008; 63(11): 1022-1029.

Affiliation

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Neurology at University College London, London, United Kingdom. l.brydon@ucl.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.12.007

PMID

18242584

PMCID

PMC2885493

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Systemic infections commonly cause sickness symptoms including psychomotor retardation. Inflammatory cytokines released during the innate immune response are implicated in the communication of peripheral inflammatory signals to the brain. METHODS: We used functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (fMRI) to investigate neural effects of peripheral inflammation following typhoid vaccination in 16 healthy men, using a double-blind, randomized, crossover-controlled design. RESULTS: Vaccination had no global effect on neurovascular coupling but markedly perturbed neural reactivity within substantia nigra during low-level visual stimulation. During a cognitive task, individuals in whom typhoid vaccination engendered higher levels of circulating interleukin-6 had significantly slower reaction time responses. Prolonged reaction times and larger interleukin-6 responses were associated with evoked neural activity within substantia nigra. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide mechanistic insights into the interaction between inflammation and neurocognitive performance, specifically implicating circulating cytokines and midbrain dopaminergic nuclei in mediating the psychomotor consequences of systemic infection.

Language: en