Movement as antigen – an evening lecture by Mick Thacker

Following hot on the heels of the recent noigroup neurodynamics and the neuromatrix conference in Nottingham, Mick Thacker has agreed to re-run his plenary lecture ‘Movement as Antigen’ for those who were unable to attend.

Movement as Antigen

The neurocentric view of pain fails to fully appreciate the importance of other key systems present within the nervous system. The immune system is now known to be actively involved in both the generation and maintenance of pain and neuro-immune interactions which underpin several characteristics of neuropathic related pain.

The classical view of antigens is of foreign bodies, normally pathogens, which stimulate the production of antibodies. Newer ideas, particularly from the field of psychoneuroimmunology, have expanded the concept of antigens to include the construct of self-antigens. Self-antigens comprise tissues, cells and chemical mediators including neurotransmitters that are released as a consequence of evoked activity in neurones and that allow recognition of the body’s own tissues. This self-antigen derived self-recognition has been termed the immunological homunculus by Cohen and the immunculus by Poleteav; and represents a context of ‘normal state’ to the immune system. Therefore under normal circumstances self-antigens have homeostatic functions preventing unwanted immune/inflammatory responses, whilst allowing the normal release of transmitters, trophic signals and cytokines within the nervous system. However, under circumstances of ‘contextual change’ such as pain and stress, self-antigens may become the basis of neuro-immune responses that initiate and/or amplify on-going dysfunction within the nervous system.

In this talk Mick will hypothesise that a contextual change within the self-antigenic system produces immune-like responses to movement and, in extreme circumstances, to the thought of movement, which may lead to pain and movement dysfunctions commonly seen in the clinic. The idea of a movement induced sterile inflammatory response within the brain will be presented and ideas for potential research and management strategies based on these concepts will be discussed.

Date: Wednesday 30th June 7-9pm

Venue: Brampton House, The Hospital of St John and Elizabeth

Cost: £25

Please contact reception@central-health.com or ring 020 7404 6343 to register your interest.