Mind and body: how the health of the body impacts on neuropsychiatry

Abstract

It has long been established in traditional forms of medicine and in anecdotal knowledge that the health of the body and the mind are inextricably linked. Strong and continually developing evidence now suggests a link between disorders which involve Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA) dysregulation and the risk of developing psychiatric disease. For instance, adverse or excessive responses to stressful experiences are built into the diagnostic criteria for several psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders. Interestingly, peripheral disorders such as metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases are also associated with HPA changes. Furthermore, many other systemic disorders associated with a higher incidence of psychiatric disease involve a significant inflammatory component. In fact, inflammatory and endocrine pathways seem to interact in both the periphery and the central nervous system (CNS) to potentiate states of psychiatric dysfunction. This review synthesizes clinical and animal data looking at interactions between peripheral and central factors, developing an understanding at the molecular and cellular level of how processes in the entire body can impact on mental state and psychiatric health.

Costs of illness in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in Germany

“…Clinically relevant depressive symptoms (BDI‐II > 19) could be observed in about 12% of patients in our study cohort and were an independent predictor of increased total costs. Chronic disabling conditions are known to affect psychiatric health in patients . However, data on depression in CIDP patients are still sparse.…”

“…Chronic disabling conditions are known to affect psychiatric health in patients. 20 However, data on depression in CIDP patients are still sparse. A Dutch survey study found a depression frequency of 9% in the immune-mediated neuropathies Guillain-Barré Syndrome and CIDP.…”

Blunted neuroendocrine stress reactivity in young women with eating disorders

“…Alternatively, blunted HPAA reactivity may also precede the development of an ED, i.e., represents a pre-morbid condition making individuals more vulnerable to EDs. Therefore, further studies should concentrate on the differences between treated and untreated or in-and outpatients with EDs and consider that changes in HPAA functioning could be dynamic during the course of a psychological disorder [86], warranting longitudinal studies (e.g. [87]).…”

Fatigue, Pain, Anxiety and Depression in Guillain-Barré Syndrome and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy

“…Although chronic conditions are known to impact adversely on a person's mental state and psychiatric health [24], only a few studies have examined the psychological health status in patients with immune-mediated neuropathies.…”