Brydges Nichola M, Reddaway Jack
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Brain Neurosci Adv. 2020 Sep 21;4:2398212820953706. doi: 10.1177/2398212820953706. eCollection 2020 Jan-Dec.
Exposure to adverse experiences during development increases the risk of psychiatric illness later in life. Growing evidence suggests a role for the neuroimmune system in this relationship. There is now substantial evidence that the immune system is critical for normal brain development and behaviour, and responds to environmental perturbations experienced early in life. Severe or chronic stress results in dysregulated neuroimmune function, concomitant with abnormal brain morphology and function. Positive experiences including environmental enrichment and exercise exert the opposite effect, promoting normal brain and immune function even in the face of early life stress. The neuroimmune system may therefore provide a viable target for prevention and treatment of psychiatric illness. This review will briefly summarise the neuroimmune system in brain development and function, and review the effects of stress and positive environmental experiences during development on neuroimmune function. There are also significant sex differences in how the neuroimmune system responds to environmental experiences early in life, which we will briefly review.
发育过程中接触不良经历会增加日后患精神疾病的风险。越来越多的证据表明神经免疫系统在这种关系中发挥作用。现在有大量证据表明，免疫系统对正常大脑发育和行为至关重要，并对生命早期经历的环境扰动做出反应。严重或慢性应激会导致神经免疫功能失调，同时伴有大脑形态和功能异常。包括环境丰富化和运动在内的积极经历则产生相反的效果，即使面对早期生活压力也能促进正常的大脑和免疫功能。因此，神经免疫系统可能为精神疾病的预防和治疗提供一个可行的靶点。本综述将简要总结神经免疫系统在大脑发育和功能中的作用，并回顾发育过程中应激和积极环境经历对神经免疫功能的影响。神经免疫系统对生命早期环境经历的反应也存在显著的性别差异，我们将对此进行简要回顾。
