Neuroimmunity & the Brain-Gut Connection (Functional Neurology) - Hardcover

Bi-directional communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and the enteric nervous system (ENS) occurs both in health and disease. Various CNS- and gut-directed stressors stimulate the brain-gut axis. Processes modulating responsiveness to stressors along the brain-gut axis involve neural pathways, the immunological, and endocrinological mechanisms. Disturbances at every level of neural control of the gastrointestinal tract can affect modulation of gastrointestinal motility, secretion, and immune functions as well as perception and emotional response to visceral events. ENS function, central processing, and autonomic regulation play an important role in the brain-gut dialogue. Stress and emotions may trigger neuroimmune and neuroendocrine reactions via the brain-gut axis. Nutritional strategies may impact on the integrity and the expression of neurophysiological systems, and neuroimmunolgical interventions through diet and toxin reduction may provide potential support to address the growing concerns of environmentally induced brain disease and neurological autoimmune disorders. In this book, you will find an in-depth review of the brain-gut connection.

Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, CLS is a world-known functional immunologist with MSc and PhD in the fields of microbiology and clinical immunology from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, with postdoctoral studies in comparative immunology at UCLA and tumor immunology at Charles Drew/UCLA School of Medicine and Science. Presently an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Loma Linda University, California and adjunct professor at the Lincoln College of Professional, Graduate and Continuing Education at the National University of Health Sciences. His on-going research focuses on the role of environmental triggers in complex diseases. Dr. Vojdani's research has resulted in the development of more than 300 antibody assays for the detection of many autoimmune disorders and other diseases. He holds 15 US patents for laboratory assessments of immune disorders associated with the brain and gut, and has published more than 160 articles in magazines and scientific journals. He is the CEO and Technical Director of Immunosciences Lab in Los Angeles and is also the Chief Scientific Advisor for Cyrex Labs in Phoenix, Arizona.