Theoretical accounts of Gulf War Syndrome: from environmental toxins to psychoneuroimmunology and neurodegeneration.

摘要: Non-specific illness includes a wide variety of symptoms: behavioural (e.g., reduced food and water intake), cognitive memory concentration problems) physiological fever). This paper reviews evidence suggesting that such symptoms can be explained more parsimoniously as single symptom cluster than set separate illnesses Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). superordinate could have its biological basis in the activity pro-inflammatory cytokines (in particular interleukin-1: IL-1), give rise to what has become known 'sickness response'. It is further argued persistence non-specific conditions like GWS may part) attributable bio-associative mechanism (Ferguson Cassaday, 1999). In case GWS, challenges produced sickness response became associated with smells petrol), coincidentally experienced Persian Gulf. On returning home environment, these same would act associative triggers for maintenance (conditioned) responses. Such mechanisms mediated through hypothalamus limbic system via vagal nerve innervation provide an explanation fever) should normally short lived self-limiting. We also present pattern by reflects shift immune functioning towards (T-helper-1) Th1 profile. position contrasts other immunological accounts suggest demonstrates Th2 (allergy) Evidence pertaining two contrasting positions reviewed.