Basics in psychoneuroimmunology

Central nervous, endocrine and immune systems (IS) are all considered to be important regulators of psychological and physical wellbeing. Research into psychoneuroimmunology became relatively widespread in the 1970s. More and more studies considered these systems to be interactive units. Disciplines ranging from anatomy to psychology revealed the IS as the target of brain and endocrine signals. Findings also suggest that the IS is active even in a bidirectional feedback loop. Today the IS is no longer regarded as autonomous and scientists begin to see the emergence of a new psychosomatic paradigm. So far, evidence for the mind-body interaction paradigm has been collected with regard to the role of nerve fibres in lymphatic tissues, the effects of brain lesions on the IS, the interplay of neurotransmitters, hormones and immunotransmitters in a network of bidirectional feedback loops between the brain and the IS, the effects of ontogeny, learning and conditioning on the development of the IS, the impact of experimental and naturally occurring stressors on the IS, the possible immune modulating effects of personality characteristics, life style and psychodynamic processes and the role of the IS in disease. Research findings in most of the mentioned topics are presented.