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Neuroinflammation

Meaning

An inflammatory response within the central nervous system (CNS), involving the activation of glial cells, such as microglia and astrocytes, in response to injury, infection, or chronic stress. While acute neuroinflammation is a protective mechanism, chronic, low-grade inflammation can lead to neuronal dysfunction, synaptic loss, and is implicated in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. It represents a state of chronic immune activation in the brain.