Brain and health Flashcards
Early life stress
Modulates neuro and peripheral biology. Adversity elevates amygdala reponsivity throughout life (looking for safety), high rate of firing, sensitized. Early adversity modulates immune function. Use it or lose it. SNS and HPA innervate places where immune cells occur/mature - provide norepinephrine, modulates sensitivity, immune cells at higher baseline, chronic inflammation is risky for health. Highly sensitive immune system is bad. Immune system can affect brain: cytokines - immune messages/communicators. Can pass the blood/brain barrier, amplify amygdala functioning. Endotoxin - pro-infalmmatory, more amygdala functioning (inflammation suggests danger and need for vigilance). Ventral striatum is primary target in brain for inflammation. When starting to get sick, using metabolic resources to fight off pathogens, shuts off dopamine. Creating positive feedback loop. Low positive affect, more likely to do unhealthy things to accentuate positive emotion, these are inflammation inducing - brain/body stuck in loop.
Brain to gut signaling
Bottom-up pathway. Gut bacteria modulating neural activity. Peripheral serotonin: cells in the gut produce large quantities of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which may have an effect on signaling in the brain. Immune system: the intestinal microbiome can prompt immune cells to produce cytokines that can influence neurophysiology. Bacterial molecules: microbes produce metabolites such as butyrate which can alter the activity of cells in the blood-brain barrier. Poverty - restricted diets, less diverse microbial activity. Bad effects on brain.
