Lasselin J. Back to the future of psychoneuroimmunology: Studying inflammation-induced sickness behavior.
Brain Behav Immun Health 2021;
18:100379. [PMID:
34761246 PMCID:
PMC8566772 DOI:
10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100379]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
What do we know about sickness behavior? In this article, I guide you through some of the complexity of sickness behavior occurring after an immune challenge. I highlight the many features of behavioral and affective changes induced during experimental endotoxemia in humans, and describe how little we know about many of these features. I argue that we need to dismantle the components of inflammation-induced sickness behavior, and study each component in detail. I also point out the large inter-individual differences in inflammation-induced behavioral and affective changes, and the fact that psychosocial factors likely interact with inflammation to shape inflammation-induced sickness behavior. PNI clearly lacks investigations of the vulnerability and resilient factors underlying the inter-individual variability in sickness behavior. Throughout the article, I base my argument on my published articles, and provide concrete examples from my experience and the data that I have collected over the past 10 years. Given the relevance of inflammation-induced sickness behavior for inflammation-associated depression and for how people react to infections, I encourage current and future psychoneuroimmunologists to return towards basic science of sickness behavior.
Inflammation-related sickness behavior is relevant for inflammation-associated depression
The many features of sickness behavior should be investigated in detail
There are large inter-individual variability in sickness behavior
Vulnerability and resilient factors predicting sickness responses are little known
I call for a return towards basic science of sickness behavior.
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