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Conditioning allergic skin responses in humans: a controlled trial
R J Booth1, K J Petrie, R J Brook
1Department of Molecular Medicine, Auckland University School of Medicine, New Zealand.
Classical conditioning of immune responsiveness has been extensively investigated in animals, but few successful studies have been reported with humans. We report the results of a study in which an attempt was made to demonstrate conditioned alteration to an allergic skin test response in humans. For 8 of 10 trials, allergic skin tests were administered to one forearm of volunteer subjects, and saline was administered to the other forearm. For the other two trials, the test substances were covertly switched between arms, but no changes in response resulted from this maneuver that could be ascribed to conditioning.
Classical conditioning of immune responsiveness has been extensively investigated in animals, but few successful studies have been reported with humans. We report the results of a study in which an attempt was made to demonstrate conditioned alteration to an allergic skin test response in humans. For 8 of 10 trials, allergic skin tests were administered to one forearm of volunteer subjects, and saline was administered to the other forearm. For the other two trials, the test substances were covertly switched between arms, but no changes in response resulted from this maneuver that could be ascribed to conditioning.
