Numerous chronic conditions, such as Long COVID, ME/CSF, and POTS, share common characteristics such as: - neuroinflammation - overlapping immunopathologies - overlapping symptoms & comorbidities - variable responses to medical treatments These conditions are also associated with in increased risk of psychiatric conditions including depression. That's why we wrote a free white paper, with 118 peer-reviewed sources, to challenge the way patients and health professionals view the impact chronic inflammation and our mental health. Access it here 👇 buff.ly/FqLJ4Zo

A new study suggests that different types of childhood trauma (abuse vs neglect) correlate with specific brain-immune interactions that influence the child's psychological health. Here is what all parents should know about this study. Abuse and neglect alter a child's brain activation and connectivity. However, the way in which this connectivity is altered depends on the type of trauma (abuse or neglect) and if they experienced it early (ages 0-11 - child) vs late (ages 12-18 - adolescent). The functional connectivity between the following three brain regions was investigated by fMRI in 128 adults (who experienced trauma in their youth) and presented with visual cues and fear triggers: - The fear center (amygdala) - The memory center (hippocampus) - The emotion regulation center (vm prefrontal cortex) \ Adults Abused as Children and IL-8 In children who were abused (physical, emotional, or sexual abuse), the relative amount of a pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-8 = reduced activation of the brain's fear center. \ Adults Neglected as Adolescents and IL-8 However, in adolescents who were neglected (not abused), IL-8 = reduced activity in the emotional regulation center of the brain. This likely manifests in adolescents as severe emotional dysfunction. \ Adults Neglected as Children and IL-17 Elevated IL-17 levels = enhanced connectivity between the fear (amygdala) and the emotional regulation center (the vmPFC) of the brain. This likely manifests as: - emotional dysregulation - inability to appropriately process fear - impaired immune function (elevated chronic inflammation) It's tempting to think that stress triggers a spike in inflammation, leading to altered functional connectivity. However, future studies are required to determine whether stress triggers inflammation-mediated changes in the brain or whether changes in the brain mediate the inflammation. This study is yet another piece of the neuro-immune network hypothesis, which posits bidirectional communication between peripheral immune cells (which mediate inflammation) and the brain circuits involved in threat processing. Let us know what you think by dropping a comment below. Read more: neurosciencenews.com/childho…

A recent review proposes integrating POTS, ME/CFS, and Long COVID into the neuroimmunology subspecialty. Here is their compelling case. \ Overlapping Drivers of Disease: The authors outline several major overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms shared by POTS, ME/CFS, and Long COVID. This includes: 1. Autonomic Dysfunction (Dysautonomia) 2. Mitochondrial Dysfunction 3. Cerebral Hypoperfusion 4. Immune Dysregulation 5. Neuroinflammation 6. Autoimmunity \ The Harm of Psychiatric Misdiagnoses: For decades, patients have been wrongly labeled with "functional neurological disorder," anxiety, or somatization because routine tests often look normal. \ A Call for Better Diagnostics: Researchers and clinicians urgently need advanced tools such as: - 7T MRIs - Targeted PET scans - Autoantibody and cytokine panels - Comprehensive autonomic function testing Routine tests are simply not enough. \ The Authors’ Core Proposal: Classify and treat POTS, ME/CFS, and Long COVID as neuroimmune disorders under the subspecialty of neuroimmunology. This shift would: • Improve clinical care • Accelerate research • Enable effective neurotherapeutics (including repurposed immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory treatments) Thanks, Dysautonomia Clinic, for the awesome paper! #MECFS #POTS #LONGCOVID #PASC Read more here: buff.ly/HqR7NKH

Only ~5% of the melatonin in your body comes from the pineal gland to regulate sleep-wake cycles. The rest is produced inside your mitochondria around the clock. In this article, we reveal: 1. Why mitochondrial melatonin is arguably the most important regulator of mitochondrial health and function 2. How infection-associated chronic conditions and chronic inflammation might dysregulate mitochondrial melatonin levels 3. How to naturally boost this powerful regulator of mitochondrial health Read more: buff.ly/6SPAhfP