This article is part of the supplement: International Society on Brain and Behaviour: 3rd International Congress on Brain and Behaviour

Oral presentation

Perspectives on interferon-induced depression: toward an integration of psychiatry, neuroscience and immunology

Peter Hauser

Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience and Internal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA

corresponding author email

from International Society on Brain and Behaviour: 3rd International Congress on Brain and Behaviour
Thessaloniki, Greece. 28 November – 2 December 2007

Annals of General Psychiatry 2008, 7(Suppl 1):S37doi:10.1186/1744-859X-7-S1-S37

Published:	17 April 2008

First paragraph (this article has no abstract)

Cytokines are small protein molecules which play a key role in viral clearance. Interferon-alpha (IFN) is a proinflammatory cytokine that is used to treat hepatitis C. However, the use of IFN can result in the development of neuropsychiatric side effects and sickness behavior, such as depression, irritability and fatigue. IFN-induced depression occurs in approximately 20-30% of patients with HCV, yet the mechanisms and risk factors associated with this complication of its use are not well understood.