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.
Origin
The term combines neuro, referring to the nervous system, and inflammation, the body’s innate immune response. The concept evolved from pathology and neuroscience, recognizing that the brain, once thought to be immune-privileged, possesses its own distinct and crucial immune response system.
Mechanism
Neuroinflammation is mediated by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines from activated glial cells, which can impair the blood-brain barrier integrity and directly damage neurons. Systemic hormonal imbalances, such as chronic hypercortisolemia from stress or low sex hormone levels, can exacerbate this process by altering the delicate immune-endocrine communication. This sustained inflammatory state disrupts normal neuronal signaling and compromises cognitive and emotional health.
Individualized mental wellness strategies are guided by data quantifying the endocrine-metabolic-neurotransmitter axes for systemic functional recalibration.
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