Stress and the immune system

Neuroimmunology Psychological stress affects cognitive performance, and severe stress can contribute to chronic disease. Kertser et al. tested responses in mice to a stressful event involving electrical shocks. Central nervous system immunosurveillance plays a role in the ability to cope with mental stress. However, severe stress interfered with this process. Severe stress led to reduced trafficking of white blood cells along the choroid plexus—a major interface between the brain and the immune system. Blocking corticosteroid and glucocorticoid signaling locally restored choroid plexus functioning, mitigating the impact of stress on immune function. Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.aav4111 (2019).