- How psychological, behavioral, and social factors play a role in health and disease

Michigan State University

New York University

- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Psychoneuroimmunology
- The Immune System
- Psychological Stress and Immunity

Emotions and the Immune System

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

- Anatomical and physiological systems show us how psychological factors can alter the response of our immune system
- Stressful periods of life produce a decline in the number of immune cells and cytokines in our bodies


Psychological Stress and Immunity

Psychosomatic Medicine

- Phagocytes
- B Lymphocytes
- Antibodies
- T Lymphocytes
- Cytokines

The Immune System Elements

Psychoneuroimmunology is the scientific field dedicated to studying the interactions between psychological factors, such as stress, and the body's immune system. The term was introduced in 1981 in a book that reviewed evidence of associations between the brain, the endocrine system, and the immune system. The field's development was largely spurred by the discovery of a fundamental connection between the central nervous system and the immune system.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)

A tangible physiological connection exists between the brain and the immune system, which is fundamental to understanding how psychological factors influence immunity. This connection operates through at least two major pathways: direct innervation of immune organs (like the thymus, bone marrow, and spleen) by the sympathetic nervous system, and the adverse effects of stress hormones released during HPA axis activation on immune function.

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