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PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY
THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION
Breaking down the word:
• psycho—emotional behavior
• neuro—hypothalamic/pituitary axis
• immuno—immune system involvement
• -logy—study of
Anecdotal evidence of a brain-body
connection:
• Sara
• shaman
• placebo
Review of electrochemical neurotransmission
role of neurotransmitters
putative neurotransmitters
peptides
Peptides is a “buzz” word for understanding
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
“PSYCHO” PART
• higher cortical centers communicate with the
emotional brain via the limbic system
• Papez Circuit (1937)—anatomical substrate
for emotion
“NEURO” PART
• primary function of the hypothalamus is
to control the pituitary
• this occurs in two ways—direct
(posterior pituitary) and indirect (anterior
pituitary)
Direct control occurs in the posterior pituitary
via oxytocin (OXY) and arginine
vasopressin (AVP)
both are chains of amino acids also called
peptides
Indirect control occurs in the anterior
pituitary—messages stop at the median
eminence and release releasing factors
examples: GH and GHRH; FSH and
FSHRH;
they are also peptides (hormones in body)
“IMMUNO” PART
immune system (IS)
• one function of IS is recognition of self
v non-self
• another function is maintenance of
homeostasis—a delicate balance that
is interrupted infrequently, but results in
pathology when it is
Work of IS is carried out by T-cells and Bcells
T-cells (thymus) eliminate antigens by
attacking them directly or by initiating a
cascade of events that results in the
release of lymphokines—”natural drug” of
IS: structurally a peptide product of T-cells
B-cells (bursa of Fabricius) secrete
antibodies that search out antigens and
combine with them to form
immunoglobulins
IMMUNE SYSTEM AND STRESS
(DISEASE)
• 200 A.D.—Galen notes that melancholy
women (yellow bile) were more likely to
develop cancer than sanguine women
(blood)
• 1920s—Cannon introduced fight or flight—
nervous system arousal to stressful stimuli
• 1980s—Norman Cousins, an editor of a
large east coast newspaper and astute lay
person self-prescribed comedy films for
reducing his own recovery time—Marx
Brothers, Three Stooges, Candid Camera
IMMUNE SYSTEM AND CENTRAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM
• Direct innervation of IS by CNS
bone marrow innervated by vagus
nerve (X)
CNS structures project fibers to the
thymus
spleen is innervated by CNS fibers
• Various peptides are found in gut tissue
where immune actions may be initiated
• IS peptides affect thymocyte production
and lymphocytes
• Weiderman (1987) proposed that peptides
act as a “transducer” between experience
and disease and hypothesized that every
peptide found in the CNS will eventually
be shown to have a peripheral role as well
• Candace Pert suggested that peptides
play a significant role in the holistic
approach to mind-disease paradigm
• Role of alternative medicines
• What do you think now?
– about Sara
– about shaman
– about the placebo effect