O papel da neuroinflamação na esquizofrenia e depressão maior
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34119/bjhrv8n5-052Keywords:
esquizofrenia, depressão maior, citocinas pró-inflamatórias, micróglia, neuroplasticidadeAbstract
A neuroinflamação tem se consolidado como um elemento central na compreensão da fisiopatologia da esquizofrenia e da depressão maior, condições psiquiátricas de grande impacto social e clínico. Esta revisão integrativa da literatura analisou estudos publicados entre 2020 e 2025, indexados nas bases SciELO, PubMed/MEDLINE e LILACS, com o objetivo de sintetizar evidências sobre os mecanismos neuroinflamatórios associados a esses transtornos. Foram selecionados 27 artigos que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão, abrangendo estudos experimentais, clínicos e revisões sistemáticas. Os achados apontam que a ativação crônica da microglia, a liberação de citocinas pró-inflamatórias (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β), a disfunção do metabolismo do triptofano e o desequilíbrio nos sistemas glutamatérgico e dopaminérgico estão entre os principais mecanismos que contribuem para sintomas cognitivos, emocionais e psicóticos. Na esquizofrenia, destacam-se a perda sináptica, a disfunção glial e a alteração da barreira hematoencefálica, enquanto na depressão, a redução da neurogênese hipocampal, a excitotoxicidade glutamatérgica e a disfunção mitocondrial aparecem como processos centrais. Ambos os transtornos apresentam ainda interações relevantes com o eixo microbiota-intestino-cérebro e forte influência de fatores genéticos e ambientais. Conclui-se que a neuroinflamação não apenas agrava os sintomas e a resistência terapêutica, mas também representa um elo entre mecanismos biológicos, psicossociais e ambientais. A modulação imunoinflamatória surge, portanto, como uma estratégia terapêutica promissora, reforçando a necessidade de abordagens interdisciplinares e políticas públicas que ampliem o acesso a diagnósticos precoces e novas intervenções imunomodulatórias.
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