@article{ref1,
title="Peripheral inflammation is associated with altered substantia nigra activity and psychomotor slowing in humans",
journal="Biological psychiatry",
year="2008",
author="Brydon, Lena and Harrison, Neil A. and Walker, Cicely and Steptoe, Andrew and Critchley, Hugo D.",
volume="63",
number="11",
pages="1022-1029",
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.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0006-3223",
doi="10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.12.007",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.12.007"
}