The Inflamed Mind: A radical new approach to depression


By Edward Bullmore (2018)

This is a persuasive and exciting read, so exciting in fact, that it's extremely hard not to skip to the end to see how things turn out, but it is worth resisting the urge as there are so many gems along the way.  The author, a professor of Neuroscience and Head of Psychiatry at Cambridge University, is clearly attuned to explaining things in simple language whilst at the same time somehow managing not to seem patronising, and you learn such a lot along the way that you don't mind that you are reading an "Immunology and Medical History for Dummies".

In the course of discussing his central hypothesis, (that depression may be caused by inflammation), we find out not only about macrophages, lymphocytes, microglial cells, cytokines, anti-TNF antibodies and the vagal nerve, but he also untangles the theories of Descartes and covers Celsus, Paracelsus, Hippocrates and Darwin to boot, and all this encased in a gripping narrative of medical discovery of vast potential importance.

Rating 9/10

Related weblinks:

Anti-cytokine, anti-inflammatory effects of 20 mins of exercise:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315255.php

A critical review of the book:

https://ppa.csp.org.uk/news/2018-09-06-inflamed-mind-book-review-terry-smith

An animated summary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw7b0-yTnT0

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