The Role of Emotions, Stress, and Mental State in Inflammatory Processes Perturbing Brain-Heart Dialogue

Abstract

Emotions and stress have a great impact on mental states and well-being, and the mindbody problem has historically been conceived as a continuum from dualism to physicalism. Stress and emotions are undoubtedly defined by the physical underpinnings but cannot be reduced to them. Mental states, such as beliefs, goals, or values, play also an essential role. Moreover, despite stressful events are constitutive part of our everyday, when personal resources are not enough to deal with the situation, the physical homeostasis can be seriously threatened. An important point is to explore possible pathways connecting entities like emotion and stress with the physical body, and neuroinflammation seems to be an important candidate.This chapter aims to address the relationship between stress, emotions, and mental states in those inflammatory processes affecting cardiovascular system. In particular, the interaction of sympathetic nervous system and cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in modulate inflammation during stressful events or mental disorders will be described.