ABSTRACT
Patients with chronic inflammation are often associated with depression symptoms, while depressed patients show increased levels of circulating cytokines. The activation of immune cell microglia in the brain of depressed patients is associated with a greater prevalence of suicide, indicating a crucial role for neuroinflammation in the neuropathology of depression. In the modern lifestyle, decreased physical activity and increased sedentarism has emerged as a risk factor for mental disorders, including depression. The literature is very clear that exercise is antidepressant. In this chapter, we present evidence on the role of exercise in neuroinflammation within the context of depression, focusing the role of interleukin-6 and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. In summary, immunomodulation is a biological mechanism responsible for the anti-inflammatory and antidepressant effects of regular physical exercise.
