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Abstract
Sickness behaviour represents the expression of the adaptive reorganization of the
priorities of the host during an infectious episode. This process is triggered by
pro-inflammatory cytokines produced by peripheral phagocytic cells in contact with
invading micro-organisms. The peripheral immune message is relayed to the brain via
a fast neural pathway and a slower humoral pathway, resulting in the expression of
pro-inflammatory cytokines in macrophage-like cells and microglia in the brain. The
cellular and molecular components of this previously unsuspected system are being
progressively identified. These advances are opening new avenues for understanding
brain disorders, including depression.