New Theory Links Depression to Chronic Brain Inflammation

[Angela Kennedy]

That's exactly what I thought. As the study says "Many people exhibit signs of lethargy and depressed mood during flu-like illnesses. Generally these have been treated as just a consequence of being physically ill, but we think there is likely to be something more brain-centric at work here." I think so too.

Sickness behaviour because of somatic illness is one thing, and ubiquitous to ALL organic illnesses. It's when special pleading is done with CFS as an 'unexplained' (therefore given psychogenic explanation by default) illness that we run into problems. THIS is what the CDC have been doing! They're claiming infections are 'triggers' rather than causational (and not researching into infectious causation, even where the evidence should point them in that direction) and 'stress' or other psychogenic explanation is almost (perhaps even) always resorted to.

And, this study above has used unsubstantiable psychogenic causation theory. That makes it problematic, and most likely useless towards researching or theorising Canadian defined ME/CFS.

 

[D Bergy]

Yes, the resolution of my depression symptoms were due to using higher doses of anti-inflammatory supplements.

I use double the normal Krill Oil dosage, and two 1500 mg doses of Turmeric and Ginger capsules daily.

I also worked on removing pathogens from the intestinal tract, and went on Low Dose Naltrexone to boost my immune system. Later on I was able to lower my supplement dosages, as I apparently had reduced the pathogens causing the inflammation, and the LDN probably helped control this also.

There are reasons for the inflammation, and it likely involves a pathogen, or multiple pathogens. I have deduced what some of mine are, and actively try to reduce them, any way I can.

Dan

 

[*GG*]

I've always thought this was a great explanation for CFS since 'sickness 'behavior'' (ie flu-like symptoms) is definitely triggered by infections and infections seem to trigger many peoples cases of CFS....that's always seemed to fit and actually its a theory that the CDC, believe it or not, is very interested in.

Just curious Cort, how do you/we know that whomever you talked to at the CDC was not just blowing smoke, you know where? the CDC seems like a lost cause to me, time will tell with Dr. Unger, but I think you are correct when you mentioned that the NIH has dropped the ball with our condition!

GG

 

[WillowJ]

I've always thought this was a great explanation for CFS since 'sickness 'behavior'' (ie flu-like symptoms) is definitely triggered by infections and infections seem to trigger many peoples cases of CFS....that's always seemed to fit and actually its a theory that the CDC, believe it or not, is very interested in.

I realize that CDC uses that phrase a lot and that most scientists use this to refer to lab animals who are displaying signs of infection (and whom they cannot question about symptoms and receive an intelligible reply, say in English--as far as I'm aware, this phrase is not otherwise normally used for humans, who would normally be expected to be capable of telling you about their symptoms intelligibly), but in the CDC's case, I'm pretty sure it's a code phrase for "escape-avoidant behaviour" (use of the extra u is deliberate and should be interpreted accordingly). It's not an accident that they say "mind-body disorder."

While Dr. Elizabeth Unger may find herself in an untenable situation, being pressured to say things she may not believe or may not fully believe (mind-body disorder, psychosomatic disorder) in order to try to maintain the pretense of some shred of credibility for her employer, she isn't being held at gunpoint, either. Whistleblower, for instance, is a viable option for her.

The CDC's position flies in the face of overwhelming evidence against all of its key positions, and as soon as NIH's website goes online this will be obvious to everyone (not only to those few of us who have a strong need to care about it and thus do the research).

Unger doesn't have to toe the line.

 

[dancer]

Anyone have a clue about WHEN the updated NIH website on ME/CFS will come on line? I check back to the NIH site frequently, and am weary of the "website currently under construction" message. I'd LOVE something to point my doctor to.

 

[Cort]

Angela - especially because the definition of 'depression', like many mental health labels, is unstable and confused.

This is I did not know.. although it certainly makes sense. I guess there are no biomarkers for depression! If there were I guess it would be treated as a more physical illness although the increased focus on pharmaceuticals seems to suggest that they are treating it that way (???)

 

[Cort]

Just curious Cort, how do you/we know that whomever you talked to at the CDC was not just blowing smoke, you know where? the CDC seems like a lost cause to me, time will tell with Dr. Unger, but I think you are correct when you mentioned that the NIH has dropped the ball with our condition!

GG

Actually that was not a good statement from me...The CDC is not interested in the infectious cause of CFS; it has shown signs in the literature it focuses on that it is interested in the cytokine theory of CFS; that is where the Emory group comes in - some of the authors there have focused on that aspect, altho not in the CFS. Nor has the CDC show any signs in its research, which is where the rubber meets the road, that it is exploring a cytokine theory of CFS. My apologies for being unclear.

Their focus now appears to be on linking cortisol abnormalites to early life stresses including infection I believe - but heretofore on sexual abuse, personality problems and things like that. Whether Unger will take that road we will see. That is not her background - but we shall if she makes any changes. I sincerely hope that she does.

 

[Cort]

Sickness behaviour because of somatic illness is one thing, and ubiquitous to ALL organic illnesses. It's when special pleading is done with CFS as an 'unexplained' (therefore given psychogenic explanation by default) illness that we run into problems. THIS is what the CDC have been doing! They're claiming infections are 'triggers' rather than causational (and not researching into infectious causation, even where the evidence should point them in that direction) and 'stress' or other psychogenic explanation is almost (perhaps even) always resorted to.

And, this study above has used unsubstantiable psychogenic causation theory. That makes it problematic, and most likely useless towards researching or theorising Canadian defined ME/CFS.

'Sickness behavior' is a specific term applied to the flu-like symptoms produced during infections although, according to Wikidpedia researchers are now considering whether depression may fit the bill as well. In any case - it has been proven to be associated with immune activity - specifically some cytokines. Despite its weird name it is not a psychological but a physiological theory of disease that have been pretty well charted out thus far. Depression is now being considered because of the recognition that cytokines and other inflammatory agents may play a major role in causing 'it' -whatever it is .

Sickness behavior is a coordinated set of adaptive behavioral changes that develop in ill individuals during the course of an infection. [1] They usually (but not necessarily)[2] accompany fever and aid survival. Such illness responses include lethargy, depression, anxiety, loss of appetite,[3][4] sleepiness,[5] hyperalgesia[6], reduction in grooming[1][7] and failure to concentrate.[8] Sickness behavior is a motivational state that reorganizes the organism's priorities to cope with infectious pathogens.[9][10] It has been suggested as relevant to understanding depression, and some aspects of the suffering that occurs in cancer.

Lipopolysaccharides trigger the immune system to produce proinflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).[15] These peripherally released cytokines act on the brain via a fast transmission pathway involving primary input through the vagus nerves,[16][17] and a slow transmission pathway involving cytokines originating from the choroid plexus and circumventricular organs and diffusing into the brain parenchyma by volume transmission.[18] Peripheral cytokines may enter the brain directly.[19][20] They may also induce the expression of other cytokines in the brain that cause sickness behavior.[21][22] Acute psychosocial stress enhances the ability of an immune response to trigger both inflammation and behavioral sickness.[23]

It has been proposed that major depressive disorder is near-identical with sickness behavior, so raising the possibility that it is a maladaptive manifestation of sickness behavior due to abnormalities in circulating cytokines.[26][27][28] The moods effects caused by interleukin-6 following an immune response has been linked to increased activity within the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex[29], an area involved in the etiology of depression.[30] Inflammation-associated mood change can also produce a reduction in the functional connectivity of this part of the brain to the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and superior temporal sulcus.[

 

[Cort]

Here's from a review of "Sickness Behavior" by the leading researcher in the field. It's interesting that he focuses on the 'innate' immune system since that is the system which includes NK cells, monocytes/macrophages -which appears to be most messed up in CFS.

Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2009 May; 29(2): 247264.

Cytokine, Sickness Behavior, and Depression
Robert Dantzer, DVM, PhD

Anyone who has experienced an episode of viral or bacterial infection knows well the subjective feelings of sickness, in the form of malaise, lassitude, fatigue, numbness, coldness, muscle and joint aches, and reduced appetite. Because they are common, these symptoms usually are ignored by physicians. They are considered uncomfortable, but banal, components of the pathogen-induced debilitation process that affects sick individuals.

This simplistic view has turned out to be incorrect. The psychologic and behavioral components of sickness represent, together with fever response and associated neuroendocrine changes, a highly organized strategy of the organism to fight infection [1]. This strategy, referred to as sickness behavior, is triggered by the proinflammatory cytokines produced by activated cells of the innate immune system in contact with specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). These cytokines include mainly interleukin (IL) 1 (IL-1α and IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α).

 

[WillowJ]

hmm, the use of the term does seem to be broader than I was aware.

However, it doesn't exempt anyone from mind-body disorder (although they listed CFS in the correct location here )

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-169493417.html (full article not available without signing up, but several paragraphs are viewable)

Sickness Syndrome can be caused by an inflammatory disorder or a somatic illness that has an inflammatory component (e.g., heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome), an inability to handle stress in a healthy way (due to post traumatic stress, major traumatic events, or compromised cortisol function), or a hormone imbalance (e.g., menopause, PMS, andropause)

so it doesn't stop ppl from theories like this

from CFS to "sickness syndrome", hmm.