Brain, behavior, and immunity - The Consciousness Library

Kynurenine pathway profiles as markers of ketamine response in treatment-resistant depression.

Brain, behavior, and immunity July 5, 2026 Bruno Pedraz-Petrozzi, Marta Marszalek-Grabska, Emilia Fornal et al.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a major clinical challenge, with highly variable responses to ketamine. Immune activation characterizes a subset of patients with TRD. The kynurenine pathway (KP), which integrates immunometabolic signals with glutamatergic neurotransmission, may provide candidate biomarkers to inform personalized treatment. We investigated whether KP metabolites and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106889 Full text Ketamine Treatment-resistant depression Immunometabolic depression Kynurenic acid +1

Microglial brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) supports the behavioral and synaptogenic effects of ketamine.

Brain, behavior, and immunity July 2, 2026 Samuel C Woodburn, Alexander M Kuhn, Kelly E Bosis et al.

Ketamine promotes spine growth on the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which are critical for its behavioral effects. Follow-up studies show that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling is critical for these effects. In this context, we sought to determine if microglial BDNF contributes to the synaptic and behavioral effects of ketamine....

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106886 Full text Depression Ketamine Bdnf Dendrites +3

Effects of acute THC challenge on behavior and neuroinflammation in HIV-1 Tg26 mice vary based on HIV status, chronic THC history, and sex.

Brain, behavior, and immunity May 1, 2026 Havilah P Ravula, Barkha J Yadav-Samudrala, Laith E Sawaqed et al.

Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been studied for its neuroprotective benefits in disease and its ability to improve HIV-1-related symptoms in clinical and preclinical models. Chronic THC administration may cause reduced sensitivity to antinociceptive, hypothermic, and anxiolytic effects following acute THC administration, and HIV status may further influence these effects. Thus, the present...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106476 Full text Cannabinoids Sex differences Neurohiv δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol THC

A novel Bacillus aerolatus CX253 alleviates dextromethorphan-induced neurotoxicity via modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis and hippocampal Apelin signaling pathway.

Brain, behavior, and immunity May 1, 2026 Shihuan Tian, E. Huang, Guoxia Zhang et al.

The increasing non-medical use of dextromethorphan (DM), particularly among adolescents, has raised concerns regarding its potential neurobiological consequences. However, the precise mechanisms underlying its neurotoxicity, particularly the involvement of the gut microbiota, remain unclear. A novel probiotic strain, Bacillus aerolatus CX253, has demonstrated the capacity to regulate gut...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106801 Full text

Assessment of complement cascade components in patients with major depressive disorder.

Brain, behavior, and immunity July 1, 2025 Brandi Quintanilla, Dede Greenstein, Ashutosh Tripathi et al. 7 citations

Recent evidence suggests that the rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine has immune regulatory functions. The complement system is an important component of the innate immune response and plays a key role in synaptic plasticity. An increase in complement component 3 (C3) expression was previously found in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with depression. Given the complement system's role in...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.03.009 Full text Depressive disorder Immune function Antidepressant Depression major depression +6

Lack of relationships between ketamine treatment and peripheral neurotrophic and inflammatory factors in a randomized controlled ketamine trial of major depressive disorder.

Brain, behavior, and immunity April 4, 2025 Manivel Rengasamy, Benjamin Panny, Zakary Hutchinson et al. 3 citations

Ketamine is a rapid-acting treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), though mechanisms related to ketamine's effects remain unclear. Blood-based neurotrophic and inflammatory factors (NIFs; e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor, interleukin-6) have emerged as markers potentially linked to ketamine and ketamine treatment response. In this secondary analysis of a randomized controlled...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.04.006 Full text Antidepressant Bdnf Cytokines Inflammation +5

Beneficial and adverse effects of THC on cognition in the HIV-1 transgenic rat model: Importance of exploring task- and sex-dependent outcomes.

Brain, behavior, and immunity April 1, 2025 Samantha M. Ayoub, Sunitha Vemuri, Elizabeth B. Hoang et al.

HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment (NCI) is an untreated concern among people living with HIV (PLWH). Cannabis use in PLWH may complicate outcomes on cognition, with evidence to suggest function-dependent effects that are modulated by several factors including use patterns (e.g., frequency of use) and demographic influences (e.g., age). Animal studies can control for these factors. Here,...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.04.030

Predicting psychosocial intervention response from baseline gene expression.

Brain, behavior, and immunity October 1, 2024 Itay Ricon-Becker, Taylor N West, Barbara L. Fredrickson et al.

To address the challenge of predicting psychological response to a psychosocial intervention we tested the possibility that baseline gene expression profiles might provide information above and beyond baseline psychometric measures. The genomics strategy utilized individual level inferences of transcription factor activity to predict changes in loneliness and affect in response to two...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.08.004 Full text Clinical psychology Personalized psychotherapy Social genomics

The role of CD38 in inflammation-induced depression-like behavior and the antidepressant effect of (R)-ketamine.

Brain, behavior, and immunity October 1, 2023 Xinying Zhang, Teng He, Zifeng Wu et al.

CD38 is involved in immune responses, cell proliferation, and has been identified in the brain, where it is implicated in inflammation processes and psychiatric disorders. We hypothesized that dysfunctional CD38 activity in the brain may contribute to the pathogenesis of depression. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we used a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression model and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.026

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction increases stimulated IL-6 production among lonely older adults: A randomized controlled trial

Brain, behavior, and immunity May 1, 2022 Emily K. Lindsay, J. D. Creswell, Harrison J. Stern et al.

Loneliness is a potent psychosocial stressor that predicts poor health and mortality among older adults, possibly in part by accelerating age-related declines in immunocompetence. Mindfulness interventions have shown promise for reducing loneliness and improving markers of physical health. In a sample of lonely older adults, this two-arm parallel trial tested whether mindfulness training...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.05.001 Full text

Mindfulness based stress reduction provides psychological benefit and restores immune function of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer: A randomized trial with active control.

Brain, behavior, and immunity August 1, 2019 Linda Witek Janusek, Dina Tell, Herbert L Mathews

BACKGROUND Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer experience psychological distress, accompanied by reduced Natural Killer Cell Activity (NKCA) and altered levels of cytokines, which may compromise cancer control. Few studies have evaluated psycho-immune outcomes of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer in comparison to an active control...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.04.012

Immune-inflammatory pathways and clinical changes in fibromyalgia patients treated with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): A randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Brain, behavior, and immunity August 1, 2019 Laura Andrés-Rodríguez, Xavier Borràs, Albert Feliu-Soler et al.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a highly prevalent and disabling syndrome characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and a broad range of cognitive and affective symptoms. Up to now, the pathogenesis of FM is unknown although a peripheral and central sensitization involving an imbalance on immune biomarkers appears to have a relevant role in its aetiology. The aim of this study was to extend...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.02.030 Full text

Insight meditation and telomere biology: The effects of intensive retreat and the moderating role of personality.

Brain, behavior, and immunity May 1, 2018 Quinn A Conklin, Brandon G King, Anthony P Zanesco et al.

A growing body of evidence suggests that meditation training may have a range of salubrious effects, including improved telomere regulation. Telomeres and the enzyme telomerase interact with a variety of molecular components to regulate cell-cycle signaling cascades, and are implicated in pathways linking psychological stress to disease. We investigated the effects of intensive meditation...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.03.003 Full text Meditation Cell aging Neuroticism Personality +2

Systemic Inflammation and Resting State Connectivity of the Default Mode Network

Brain, behavior, and immunity January 23, 2017 Anna L. Marsland, Dora C. H. Kuan, L. Sheu et al.

The default mode network (DMN) encompasses brain systems that exhibit coherent neural activity at rest. DMN brain systems have been implicated in diverse social, cognitive, and affective processes, as well as risk for forms of dementia and psychiatric disorders that associate with systemic inflammation. Areas of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and surrounding medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.01.013 Full text

Loving-Kindness Meditation practice associated with longer telomeres in women.

Brain, behavior, and immunity August 1, 2013 Elizabeth A Hoge, Maxine M Chen, Esther Orr et al.

Relatively short telomere length may serve as a marker of accelerated aging, and shorter telomeres have been linked to chronic stress. Specific lifestyle behaviors that can mitigate the effects of stress might be associated with longer telomere lengths. Previous research suggests a link between behaviors that focus on the well-being of others, such as volunteering and caregiving, and overall...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2013.04.005 Full text

Mindfulness meditation training effects on CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV-1 infected adults: a small randomized controlled trial.

Brain, behavior, and immunity February 2009 J David Creswell, Hector F Myers, Steven W Cole et al.

Mindfulness meditation training has stress reduction benefits in various patient populations, but its effects on biological markers of HIV-1 progression are unknown. The present study tested the efficacy of an 8-week Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) meditation program compared to a 1-day control seminar on CD4+ T lymphocyte counts in stressed HIV infected adults. A single-blind...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2008.07.004 Full text

Effect of mindfulness based stress reduction on immune function, quality of life and coping in women newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.

Brain, behavior, and immunity August 2008 Linda Witek-Janusek, Kevin Albuquerque, Karen Rambo Chroniak et al.

This investigation used a non-randomized controlled design to evaluate the effect and feasibility of a mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) program on immune function, quality of life (QOL), and coping in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Early stage breast cancer patients, who did not receive chemotherapy, self-selected into an 8-week MBSR program or into an assessment only,...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2008.01.012 Full text

One year pre-post intervention follow-up of psychological, immune, endocrine and blood pressure outcomes of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in breast and prostate cancer outpatients.

Brain, behavior, and immunity November 2007 Linda E Carlson, Michael Speca, Peter Faris et al.

This study investigated the ongoing effects of participation in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on quality of life (QL), symptoms of stress, mood and endocrine, immune and autonomic parameters in early stage breast and prostate cancer patients. Forty-nine patients with breast cancer and 10 with prostate cancer enrolled in an eight-week MBSR program that incorporated...

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.04.002 Full text

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