Psychiatry, Psychoimmunology, and Viruses

The contributions in this book deal with basic research in psychoneuroimmunology, dysfunctions of the immune system in psychiatric disorders and the possible role of viruses in psychoneuroimmunological processes. Growing knowledge about the reciprocal relationship between psychic processes and the immune system is interest to clinical psychiatrists in this field because immunological dysfunction is found in depression and schizophrenia, but also in other psychiatric syndromes like anxiety disorders. The chapter authors, all active researchers in the field, describe the results of their scientific work. The interdisciplinary character of this book is outlined by the broad international and disciplinary range of the authors which represent a spectrum from basic scientists such as pharmacologists and immunologists, to clinical psychiatrists and neurologists. Findings regarding the role of the immune system in sleep and in headache are discussed. Special emphasis is placed on methodological pitfalls in immunological studies of psychiatric disorders. Perspectives for future therapeutical strategies are outlined.