“It used to be thought that the immune system and the nervous system were worlds apart,” says John Bienenstock of McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
Now it seems the immune system, and infections that stimulate it, can influence our moods, memory
and ability to learn.
Some strange behaviours, such as obsessive compulsive dis order, may be triggered by infections, and the immune system may even shape our basic personalities, such as how anxious
or impulsive we are.
The good news is that understanding these links between the brain and immune system could lead to new ways of treating all kinds of disorders, from depression to Tourette’s syndrome.