Glossary
Neuroinflammation
What is Neuroinflammation?
Neuroinflammation refers to inflammatory processes within the brain and spinal cord. Its effects depend on the initiating condition, the cells involved, and the response’s course and duration.
How it works
Microglia, the nervous system’s resident immune cells, and astrocytes participate in inflammatory signaling. Following brain injury, these glial cells can become reactive and produce cytokines and chemokines: molecules that help coordinate immune activity and recruit cells. Peripheral immune cells can also enter the injured tissue. Thus, the response involves communication among cell types rather than an isolated brain immune system.
Acute and chronic neuroinflammation
Acute describes a response over a shorter period; chronic describes a persistent response. An early inflammatory response can support defense and repair, while prolonged or poorly regulated inflammation can contribute to harm. Duration alone does not identify every response as beneficial or harmful: its cause, intensity and cellular effects also matter.
Applied example
Consider a brain injury. Tissue damage initiates responses from microglia and astrocytes, inflammatory signals are released, and other immune cells can be recruited. An early response can support protection and repair. If activity resolves as the injury is addressed, its course differs from a persistent response that contributes to further damage. The initiating event, cellular activity, and later course are all part of the explanation.
Researchers may examine whether particular inflammatory processes relate to executive dysfunction, but a person’s work stress or memory complaint alone does not establish brain inflammation or neurological damage.
Why it matters
The term helps study context-dependent interactions between immune activity and nervous-system function. It does not establish that anti-inflammatory treatment will benefit a particular psychiatric condition.
Evidence note: DiSabato, Quan and Godbout (2016) distinguish beneficial and harmful neuroinflammatory responses.