It is now well recognized that the brain, and especially the hypothalamus, plays an important role in the regulation of immune reactions and inflammation. This book aims to review our current state of knowledge of this important field. Key historical findings are presented, and the reciprocal interactions between the brain and the immune system are examined. Particular emphasis is placed on inflammation, a critical host defense reaction that serves as an effector response for both the adaptive and innate immune systems.Mechanisms implicated in brain defense, as well as in more general host defense, are discussed. The regulatory influences of the brain on inflammatory responses are included with particular reference to the role of the hypothalamus, which is also the main director the hormonal regulation of immune/inflammatory. Gender-related differences in immune responsiveness, circadian modulator of immune responses, and evidence that behavioral conditioning (e.g. reward) of immune responses is possible are used as examples to reinforce the notion that the neuroendocrine system exerts a fundamental and complex regulatory influence on the immune system.

I. INTRODUCTION
1. The hypothalamus is the central organ of immunoregulation

II. DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION OF THE NEUROIMMUNE SYSTEM
2. Leech Neuroimmune Signaling
3. Morphogenesis of the Hypothalamus and Hypophysis
4. A Novel Genus of Specialized Anti-Inflammatory and Pro-Resolution Lipid Mediators
5. Neural and Non-Neural Stem Cells as Novel Therapeutic Modalities for Brain Injury
6. The Role of the Toll-like Receptors in Neuropathology
7. Cytokines and the Immune-Neuroendocrine Network
8. Orexin Containing Neurons and the Immune System
9. Central Pathways of Immunoregulation
10. Brain Responses to Antigenic Challenges

III. IMMUNOREGULATION BY THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
11. Immunoregulation by the Nervous System: Role of the Endocrine System
12. Conditioning of Immune Reactions
13. Gender Issues in Host Defense

IV. HOW THE BRAIN DEFENDS ITSELF
14. Glial Cells in Brain Defense Mechanisms
15. Immunologic Privilege and the Brain
16. Immune Aspects of the Blood-Brain Barrier
17. Neuroprotective Activities of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells

V. THE ROLE OF THE BRAIN IN HOST DEFENSE IN DISEASE STATES
18. Fever as a Host Defense Mechanism
19. Leukocytes as Mediator of Pain and Analgesia
20. Tumor Necrosis Factor as Neuroinflammatory Mediator in Alzheimer's Disease and Stroke. Molecular Mechanisms and Neuroinflammatory Imaging
21. Multiple Sclerosis and Depression - a Neuroimmunological Perspective
22. Infection and Sepsis
23. Restoration of Neuroimmune Disturbances in Rats by Extra High Frequency Electromagnetic Irradiation of the Skin

It is now well recognized that the brain, and especially the hypothalamus, plays an important role in the regulation of immune reactions and inflammation. This book aims to review our current state of knowledge of this important field. Key historical findings are presented, and the reciprocal interactions between the brain and the immune system are examined. Particular emphasis is placed on inflammation, a critical host defense reaction that serves as an effector response for both the adaptive and innate immune systems.Mechanisms implicated in brain defense, as well as in more general host defense, are discussed. The regulatory influences of the brain on inflammatory responses are included with particular reference to the role of the hypothalamus, which is also the main director the hormonal regulation of immune/inflammatory. Gender-related differences in immune responsiveness, circadian modulator of immune responses, and evidence that behavioral conditioning (e.g. reward) of immune responses is possible are used as examples to reinforce the notion that the neuroendocrine system exerts a fundamental and complex regulatory influence on the immune system.