Psychoneuroimmunology
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The field of psychoneuroimmunology is concerned with how psychological factors “get under the skin” to impact the nervous system and immune system. Using observational longitudinal and experimental methods, researchers in the field of psychoneuroimmunology have found that psychological factors can dysregulate the immune system, the central and peripheral nervous system, and the endocrine system in ways that influence wound healing, latent herpesvirus reactivation, vaccine responses, susceptibility to viruses, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production (i.e., production of proteins that signal immune cells that promote inflammation). Specifically, neurotransmitters and hormones regulate immune cells, which in turn have vast clinical implications on health and immunity. Theories and methods within psychoneuroimmunology have been utilized to investigate a wide array of physical health problems from asthma to cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Interpersonal stressors appear to have a particularly significant impact on these systems in comparison to non-interpersonal stressors. Furthermore, stressors that occur early in life may have a lasting effect on the immune system, the endocrine system, and the nervous system into adulthood and old age. The field has become increasingly focused on how the immune system can impact mood and behavior. Indeed, certain types of depression and fatigue appear to be affected by dysregulated immunity. Emerging areas of investigation include a focus on interactions between the brain, gut, mitochondria, and diet. Finally, there is great interest in understanding how epigenetic processes (i.e., how genes are expressed) emerge from life experiences, impacting immunity and disease.Keywords:
Psychoneuroimmunology
Stressor
Stress has long been recognized as a putative modulator of immunity. Several clinical and experimental reports point to a role of physical and psychological stressors on progression or resistance to disease. Nonetheless, literature in this field is sometimes controversial due to the wide variety of stressors employed and parameters of immunity analyzed. This variation should not be considered a consequence of methodological inaccuracy. The stress response, although theoretically stereotyped in nature, may lead to slightly different outcomes according to several modifiers. Our group has compared the effects of several stressors over different parameters of brain activity, behavior, immunity and glucocorticoid levels. These data show altogether that while increased turnover of noradrenaline in the hypothalamus, along with anxiety-like behaviors and increase in serum corticosterone are present very often, the magnitude of changes in immunity may vary considerably. Thus, we review data from our group generated over the past decade to support that effects of stressors on immunity and behavior highly depend on their specifics, animal model, frequency, duration, intensity, perception, and coping by the stressed animal.
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Psychoneuroimmunology
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Psychoneuroimmunology
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Psychoneuroimmunology is concerned with interdependent links between psyche, nervous, endocrine and immune systems. The origin of this scientific discipline is a breakthrough in the way of thinking about the functioning of a person and contributes to the holistic attitude. The results of research in psychoneuroimmunology are of particular significance for psychosomatic medicine since they explain in a systemic way earlier clinical observations and scientific studies concerning the influence of stress on the health condition. Studies of the immune system conditioning are becoming a direction which is cognitively significant and clinically important. The aim of the standard immune system conditioning by pharmacological means is to activate the potential for the human body to cope with disease.
Psychoneuroimmunology
Psychosomatic Medicine
Immunopharmacology
Psyche
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