The Neuro-Immune-Endocrine Connection

This volume presents the proceedings of a neuroimmunology meeting that took place at Rockefeller University under the aegis of the Institute for Child Development Research in 1985. It contains eight chapters which review various aspects of the interface between the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine axis with immune function. The book is intended for a multidisciplinary audience and, consequently, much of the material is elementary and introductory in nature. For anyone who wishes to become newly acquainted with the arcane relationship between the immune system and the central nervous system, however, this volume would make an initial primer. The first six chapters contain much simplified overviews of the immune system, the autonomic nervous system, and endocrines such as the peptides, insulin, and the steroids, along with the influence of neuropeptides and hormones on the immune system. The last two chapters deal with some immunological aspects of brain tissues (both neural and glial) after injury and discusses some examples of neurobehavioral syndromes that are believed to be related to underlying immunological disorders. Readers who are looking for a detailed and incisive treatise on immunology related to the nervous system will be disappointed with this volume because of its cursory and limited treatment of this fascinating subject; however, it has value as an introductory review.