Stress and inflammation: an emerging story

During the past decade, it has become increasingly apparent that enhanced levels of inflammation within the brain, most likely the result of chronic stress, are associated with significant changes in mood state and cognitive function. Indeed, these alterations are so similar to those observed in patients with depression that it has been proposed that inflammation might in fact represent a significant causal factor in this type of psychopathology. Given that nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, such as long-chain omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, as well as increased physical fitness, are increasingly being recommended by front-line health professionals to treat excessive or undesirable levels of inflammation, there is significant promise for their use as a treatment in the area of mental health. The aim of the current chapter is to introduce the reader to recent findings demonstrating the ability of stress to promote inflammation within the central nervous system and to critically evaluate the evidence linking these changes to alterations in mental health