Introduction to Psychoneuroimmunology

Health is maintained by the coordinated operation of all the biological systems that make up the individual. The Introduction to Psychoneuroimmunology, Second Edition, presents an overview of what has been discovered by scientists regarding how bodily systems respond to environmental challenges and intercommunicate to sustain health. The book touches on the main findings from the current literature without being overly technical and complex. The result is a comprehensive overview of psychoneuroimmunology, which avoids oversimplification, but does not overwhelm the reader.

• Single authored for consistency of breadth and depth, with no redundancy of coverage between chapters
• Covers endocrine-immune modulation, neuro-immune modulation, and the enhancing or inhibiting processes of one or more systems on the others
• Expanded use of figures, tables, and text boxes

Psychologists, neuroscientists, endocrinologists, immunologists, psychiatrists, physicians and pre- and postdoctoral students in psychology, the neurosciences, microbiology and immunology, endocrinology, physiology, and pharmacology

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Introduction

I Aim and Organization

II Historical Roots

III Immune System

IV Life-Sustaining Systems Intercommunicate

V Stress and its Impact on the Body

VI Psychosocial Stress and Disease

VII Sustaining Health

VIII Implications for Research and Healthcare

IX. Source

Chapter 2. Historical Antecedents

I Introduction

II Health

III Social Organization, Health, and Healing

IV Early Ideas about Health and Disease

V Empirical Approaches to Health

VI Science and Health

VII Concluding Comments

VIII. Sources

Chapter 3. Immune System Basics

I Introduction

II Molecular Self/Non-Self Discrimination

III Cell Types, Proteins, and Genes

IV Complement System

V Immune Cell Types and Functions

VI Inflammation

VII Human Leukocyte Antigen System

VIII Antigen Presentation

IX Natural Killer Cells

X B Lymphocytes, Antibody Structure, and Diversity

XI T Lymphocytes

XII Cytokines, Chemokines, and Cell Adhesion Molecules

XIII Lymphoid Organs and Leukocyte Traffic

XIV Immune Activation/Deactivation and Memory

XV Development of Immune Functions

XVI Measures of Immune Function

XVII Concluding Comments

XVIII. Sources

Chapter 4. Endocrine-Immune Modulation

I Introduction

II Endocrine System

III Cytokines, Hormones, and their Receptors

IV Anterior Pituitary Hormones and Immune Function

V Posterior Pituitary Hormones and Immune Function

VI Other Hormones and Immune Function

VII Thymus–Pituitary Axis and Immune Function

VIII Other Organs/Tissues and Immune Function

IX Endocrine Signaling and Energy Allocation

X Concluding Comments

XI. Sources

Chapter 5. Neuroimmune Modulation

I Introduction

II Peripheral Nervous System

III Peripheral Nervous System Innervation of Lymphoid Organs

IV Chemical Signaling in the Periphery

V Functional Effects of Peripheral Neuroimmune Interactions

VI Central Nervous System

VII Bidirectional Central Nervous System–Immune System Interactions

VIII Learning and Immune Responses

IX Personality and Immune Function

X Concluding Comments

XI. Sources

Chapter 6. Stress, Contextual Change, and Disease

I Introduction

II Selye’s Concept of Stress

III Critiques and Debates

IV Ranking Life Events as Stressful

V Stress as Contextual Change

VI Disease as Contextual Change

VII Health State Space

VIII Concluding Comments

IX. Sources

Chapter 7. Psychosocial Stress

I Introduction

II Psychosocial Stress

III Effects on Endocrine Activity

IV Effects on Autonomic and Peripheral Neural Activity

V Effects on the Central Nervous System

VI Effects on the Immune System

VII Early Life Adversity and Later Trauma

VIII Neuroendocrine–Immune Pathways

IX Concluding Comments

X. Sources

Chapter 8. Infection, Allergy, and Psychosocial Stress

I Introduction

II Infectious Diseases

III Allergic Diseases

IV Concluding Comments

V. Sources

Chapter 9. Cancer, Autoimmunity, and Psychosocial Stress

I Introduction

II Cancer

III Autoimmune Diseases

IV Concluding Comments

V. Sources

Chapter 10. Immune Activity and Psychopathology

I Introduction

II Access to Brain by Pathogens

III Immune Activity within the Brain

IV Sensing Peripheral Immune Activity

V Sickness Behavior

VI Behavioral Disorders that Resemble Sickness Behavior

VII Nervous System Infections and Behavior

VIII Autoimmunity, Malignancy, and Behavior

IX Psychiatric Disorders Alter Immune Activity

X Psychiatric Disorders with a Link to Infection

XI Concluding Comments

XII. Sources

Chapter 11. Immune Function Enhancement

I Introduction

II Cognitive Processes: Beliefs and Expectations

III Expression of Emotion

IV Humor and Laughter

V Social Interaction and Physical Contact

VI Sleep, Relaxation, and Meditative States

VII Exercise and Physical Activity

VIII Diet

IX Concluding Comments

X. Sources

Chapter 12. Integration and Implications

I Introduction

II Synopsis

III Microenvironments and Complexity

IV Unnecessary and Insufficient

V Implications for Research

VI Implications for Healthcare

VII Economic Considerations

VIII Concluding Comments

IX. Sources

Abbreviations

Glossary

Index