In: Psychology
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) fundamentally investigates the mind-body relationship, studying how mental processes, the nervous system, and the immune system impact each other. Particularly, PNI investigates how thoughts and emotions impact the central and peripheral nervous system, hormonal functioning and the immune system. Research has consistently demonstrated that the immune system is modulated by psychosocial stressors and/or interventions can lead to actual health changes.
The perception of events and the stress that is subsequently experienced has a measurable effect on the strength of the immune system and therefore its ability to protect organisms. Brief stressors tended to suppress cellular immunity (the type that deals with cellular invaders, like viruses) while preserving humoral immunity (normally dealing with pathogens outside of cells, such as parasites and bacteria). Chronic stressors tended to suppress both types of immunity.