Psychoneuroimmunology: A dialogue between the brain and the immune system

Abstract

Discusses the relationship between the brain and the immune system. Empirical evidence for the existence of a bidirectional transmission of information, or crosstalk, between the immune system and the central nervous system includes: (1) localized functions of the brain contribute to the immune response; (2) the surface of the cell membranes of immunocytes contain receptors for a variety of hormones, neuropeptides, and monoamine neurotransmitters; and (3) as the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow are controlled through the noradrenergic nerves of the sympathetic nervous system, they are also under the control of the autonomic nervous system. The functions of the immune system are disregulated when the brain functions responsible for the feedback mechanism are affected by stress or psychiatric symptoms. Studies have shown that genetic factors, the endocrine system, the nervous system, the immune system, emotions, personality, and behavior are all intricately interwoven in reactions to bacterial and viral infections. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)