Psychoneuroimmunology, also known as psychoimmunology or abbreviated PNI, is an interdisciplinary study of three fields. It aims to explore the interactions between the immune system, the nervous system, and the psyche. Since many questions are still unanswered here, basic research is still being conducted in psychoneuroimmunology.
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
Psychoneuroimmunology explores the interactions between the immune system, nervous system, and psyche. Since it was demonstrated in 1974 that the immune system does not operate independently of the nervous system, psychoneuroimmunology has become a popular research topic. The realization that the messenger substances released by the nervous system also affect the immune system, and that the messenger substances of the immune system also interact with the nervous system, allows conclusions to be drawn about the mechanisms of psychosomatic diseases. The main question here is the effect of psychological changes on the functioning of the immune system and its ability to defend against infectious diseases. The question of how stress arises and why the body is more susceptible to infections when it is stressed can also be studied using the methods of psychoneurology.
Treatments and therapies
In the pituitary gland, as well as the immune cells and adrenal glands, messengers from both the immune system and the nervous system are active. When stress is present, the concentration of immune bodies decreases; chronic stress even results in the release of immunosuppressants, substances that suppress the immune system. Research on psychoneuroimmunology is currently examining further theses that are suspected to be based on a connection between the immune system and the nervous system; researchers assume that anxiety and depression also arise due to interactions of the nervous system with the immune system. In depression, for example, the activity of so-called “NK cells” is impaired. These are part of the immune system and are colloquially known as “killer cells” – they recognize tumor cells and destroy them. There also seems to be a connection between the nervous system and the immune system in anxiety disorders. Here, a reduction in lymphocyte production can be seen. However, even in this field, the detection is currently still at the stage of basic research. Psychoneuroimmunology is not only concerned with negative effects on the cooperation of the immune system and the nervous system on the psyche, but also tries to find out which factors support a good cooperation of the regulatory circuits. The surprising finding is that simply watching funny videos can cause the immune system to release more antibodies that protect the person in question from infections such as the common cold. So feeling positive has a positive effect on the immune system, just as social bonding, optimism and good self-esteem also help the immune system do its job. For the past 20 years or so, conventional medicine has abandoned the view that there is a strict dualism between body and soul. The findings from psychoimmunology support the view that there is a multitude of previously unexplored interactions between body and soul. For the holistic treatment of an illness, therefore, not only the organic cause must be combated, but the patient’s psychological well-being must also come into focus. Psychoneuroimmunology determines the appropriate methods for this through its research, and directs attention to the interrelationships between the psyche and individual diseases. For example, after a heart attack, the patient is often depressed. This, too, could be related to certain messenger substances released by the nervous system. As a treatment, cognitive restructuring is useful here. Here, through behavioral therapy, for example, the patient learns to transform the thoughts arising from the depression into positive thoughts and behaviors, which has an effect on a holistic healing process.
Diagnosis and examination methods
The findings from psychoimmunology have been reflected in the therapy method of “mind-body medicine”. Here, patients learn various relaxation exercises, such as breathing techniques or autogenic training. This enables them to specifically combat the reactions that stress has on their immune system.Other therapeutic goals that have emerged from the findings of psychoneuroimmunology is to prevent stress from occurring in the first place by establishing a balanced lifestyle. This allows the healing process to proceed more smoothly. Research on PNI is also concerned with self-healing powers and mobilizing them through a positive basic attitude and a balanced psyche. In order to establish scientific evidence for self-healing powers and the effects of the psyche on the immune system, studies are being conducted to examine the interactions of messenger substances on their molecular basis. The body’s various reactions to stress – e.g., high blood pressure, racing heart, muscle tension – are linked to organic and psychological mechanisms and finally experimentally proven to provide reliable material with which to design tailored treatment methods. The experiments use cell cultures, whose reaction to the administration of various messenger substances is investigated. Animal experiments are also used to obtain corresponding findings. In psychoimmunology, however, individual reactions of the human body are also of interest. In addition to regular examinations of the blood of the test subjects for the concentration of immune cells and for immunosuppressants, the experimental design also provides for a survey of current life circumstances. The aim is to find out about mental health and stress levels. For this purpose, the test subjects either receive corresponding questionnaires, which they have to fill out regularly, or they are asked about their psychological well-being in interviews. In this way, the correlation of certain reactions of the immune system to well-being can be determined.
