A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunction
As populations worldwide show increasing levels of stress, understanding emerging links among stress, inflammation, cognition, and behavior is vital to human and planetary health. We hypothesize that inflammation is a multiscale driver connecting stressors that affect individuals to large-scale soci...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsci.2023.1239462/full |
| _version_ | 1797205660297854976 |
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| author | Yoram Vodovotz Yoram Vodovotz Julia Arciero Paul F. M. J. Verschure David L. Katz David L. Katz |
| author_facet | Yoram Vodovotz Yoram Vodovotz Julia Arciero Paul F. M. J. Verschure David L. Katz David L. Katz |
| author_sort | Yoram Vodovotz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As populations worldwide show increasing levels of stress, understanding emerging links among stress, inflammation, cognition, and behavior is vital to human and planetary health. We hypothesize that inflammation is a multiscale driver connecting stressors that affect individuals to large-scale societal dysfunction and, ultimately, to planetary-scale environmental impacts. We propose a “central inflammation map” hypothesis to explain how the brain regulates inflammation and how inflammation impairs cognition, emotion, and action. According to our hypothesis, these interdependent inflammatory and neural processes, and the inter-individual transmission of environmental, infectious, and behavioral stressors—amplified via high-throughput digital global communications—can culminate in a multiscale, runaway, feed-forward process that could detrimentally affect human decision-making and behavior at scale, ultimately impairing the ability to address these same stressors. This perspective could provide non-intuitive explanations for behaviors and relationships among cells, organisms, and communities of organisms, potentially including population-level responses to stressors as diverse as global climate change, conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. To illustrate our hypothesis and elucidate its mechanistic underpinnings, we present a mathematical model applicable to the individual and societal levels to test the links among stress, inflammation, control, and healing, including the implications of transmission, intervention (e.g., via lifestyle modification or medication), and resilience. Future research is needed to validate the model’s assumptions and conclusions against empirical benchmarks and to expand the factors/variables employed. Our model illustrates the need for multilayered, multiscale stress mitigation interventions, including lifestyle measures, precision therapeutics, and human ecosystem design. Our analysis shows the need for a coordinated, interdisciplinary, international research effort to understand the multiscale nature of stress. Doing so would inform the creation of interventions that improve individuals’ lives; enhance communities’ resilience to stress; and mitigate the adverse effects of stress on the world. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:54:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b568784573454371a18d14f8f1b61972 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2813-6330 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:54:39Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-b568784573454371a18d14f8f1b619722024-04-16T08:23:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Science2813-63302024-03-01110.3389/fsci.2023.12394621239462A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunctionYoram Vodovotz0Yoram Vodovotz1Julia Arciero2Paul F. M. J. Verschure3David L. Katz4David L. Katz5Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesDepartment of Immunology, Center for Systems Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesLaboratory of Synthetic, Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems (SPECS), Donders Centre of Neuroscience, Donders Centre for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Radboud University, Nijmegen, NetherlandsTrue Health Initiative, The Health Sciences Academy, London, United KingdomTangelo - Intend, Inc., Birmingham, MI, United StatesAs populations worldwide show increasing levels of stress, understanding emerging links among stress, inflammation, cognition, and behavior is vital to human and planetary health. We hypothesize that inflammation is a multiscale driver connecting stressors that affect individuals to large-scale societal dysfunction and, ultimately, to planetary-scale environmental impacts. We propose a “central inflammation map” hypothesis to explain how the brain regulates inflammation and how inflammation impairs cognition, emotion, and action. According to our hypothesis, these interdependent inflammatory and neural processes, and the inter-individual transmission of environmental, infectious, and behavioral stressors—amplified via high-throughput digital global communications—can culminate in a multiscale, runaway, feed-forward process that could detrimentally affect human decision-making and behavior at scale, ultimately impairing the ability to address these same stressors. This perspective could provide non-intuitive explanations for behaviors and relationships among cells, organisms, and communities of organisms, potentially including population-level responses to stressors as diverse as global climate change, conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. To illustrate our hypothesis and elucidate its mechanistic underpinnings, we present a mathematical model applicable to the individual and societal levels to test the links among stress, inflammation, control, and healing, including the implications of transmission, intervention (e.g., via lifestyle modification or medication), and resilience. Future research is needed to validate the model’s assumptions and conclusions against empirical benchmarks and to expand the factors/variables employed. Our model illustrates the need for multilayered, multiscale stress mitigation interventions, including lifestyle measures, precision therapeutics, and human ecosystem design. Our analysis shows the need for a coordinated, interdisciplinary, international research effort to understand the multiscale nature of stress. Doing so would inform the creation of interventions that improve individuals’ lives; enhance communities’ resilience to stress; and mitigate the adverse effects of stress on the world.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsci.2023.1239462/fullstresssocietyclimate changesocial mediainflammationmathematical model |
| spellingShingle | Yoram Vodovotz Yoram Vodovotz Julia Arciero Paul F. M. J. Verschure David L. Katz David L. Katz A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunction Frontiers in Science stress society climate change social media inflammation mathematical model |
| title | A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunction |
| title_full | A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunction |
| title_fullStr | A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunction |
| title_full_unstemmed | A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunction |
| title_short | A multiscale inflammatory map: linking individual stress to societal dysfunction |
| title_sort | multiscale inflammatory map linking individual stress to societal dysfunction |
| topic | stress society climate change social media inflammation mathematical model |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsci.2023.1239462/full |
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