Abstract
The goal of this chapter is to describe brain–immune communication, focusing on microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, and peripheral immune cells that traffic into and out of the nervous system. We describe how microglia are influenced by circulating hormones across the lifespan. In particular, we focus on the hormones associated with reproduction and stress and how these impact microglia, which in turn influence the establishment and plasticity of neural circuits. We also describe how these interactions between hormones and microglia affect healthy behaviors such as social play and mating and dysregulated behaviors including sickness behaviors, stress, depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge support from the National Institutes of Health (grants R01MH106553 and R21MH101663 to J.M.S. and grants R01MH52716-018, R01DA039062, and R01MH091424 to M.M.M.) and the NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation to J.M.S.
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Schwarz, J.M., McCarthy, M.M. (2021). Microglia, Hormones, and Behavior. In: Tasker, J.G., Bains, J.S., Chowen, J.A. (eds) Glial-Neuronal Signaling in Neuroendocrine Systems. Masterclass in Neuroendocrinology, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62383-8_9
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