Inflammation and Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Call for Action
Mireia Adelantado‐Renau, Maria Reyes Beltran‐Valls, Diego Moliner‐Urdiales
Abstract
Inflammation is a natural response to injury or infection, which promotes tissue survival, \nremodeling, and repair, as well as adaptation to stress and restoration of the homeostatic state (1). \nIn the acute phase of an inflammatory response, which could persist for a few days, inflammatory \nfactors such as cytokines/chemokines, immune-related effectors, acute phase proteins, and reactive \noxygen and nitrogen species are released, thereby triggering coordinated biological events (1). \nHowever, a prolonged inflammatory response, also known as chronic low-grade inflammation \n(1), may contribute to the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (e.g., \natherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer) (2, 3) as well as to the development of neuropsychiatric \ndisorders and cognitive dysfunctions (4). \nCognition involves a set of mental processes that shape perception, memory, intellect, and \naction, including executive functions (e.g., cognitive inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working \nmemory), and other cognitive domains (e.g., verbal fluency and comprehension) (5). Although it \nhas been suggested that the immune system might modulate brain functioning, how inflammatory \nfactors could influence cognition is poorly understood. Here, we provide context and three open \nquestions that need to be answered to move the field forward.