Social interaction, psychotic disorders and inflammation: A triangle of interest

Social interaction difficulties are a hallmark of psychotic disorders, which in some cases can be definitely traced back to autoimmunological causes. Interestingly, systemic and intrathecal inflammation have been shown to significantly influence social processing by increasing sensitivity to threatening social stimuli, which bears some resemblance to psychosis. In this article, we review evidence for the involvement of systemic and intrathecal inflammatory processes in psychotic disorders and how this might help to explain some of the social impairments associated with this group of disorders. Vice versa, we also discuss evidence for the immunomodulatory function of social interactions and their potential role for therapeutic interventions in psychotic disorders.

Automated summary

Social interaction difficulties are a common feature of psychotic disorders, and some cases can be attributed to autoimmune causes. Inflammation in the body and brain has been found to affect social processing and increase sensitivity to threatening social stimuli, resembling psychosis. This article reviews evidence of inflammatory processes in psychotic disorders and their contribution to social impairments, while also discussing the immunomodulatory effects of social interactions and their potential therapeutic role.