Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology: what is it and what is it for?

This discipline integrates different sciences to improve the quality of life of patients.

Studying the relationships between the different biological systems of the body, such as the immune system or the endocrine system, and the brain (and the human mind) is the main objective of a discipline called psychoneuroendocrineimmunology.

This science helps us to understand important aspects such as how psychological factors can influence the evolution or course of a disease, or how stress affects our quality of life.

In this article we explain what psychoneuroendocrineimmunology is and what it studies, and we give you the keys to understand what it is.and we give you the keys to understand how stress affects our immune system and what impact the mind has on our health.

What is psychoneuroendocrineimmunology and what does it study?

Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology, also known as psychoneuroimmunology, is the discipline that studies the interactions between behavioral, neural, endocrine, endocrine and immunological processes, is the discipline that studies the interactions between behavioral, neural, endocrine and immunological processes.. Researchers know that the nervous system and the immune system can communicate with each other, but it is only relatively recently that we have begun to understand how they do so and what it means for our health.

One of the basic aspects that this discipline assumes is that mind and body are two inseparable entities. It follows that stress affects the body's ability to resist disease. In addition, we know that the brain influences all sorts of physiological processes that were once thought to be not centrally regulated.

There are effects of psychological factors on numerous diseases.The aim of psychoneuroendocrineimmunology is to study precisely what role the physiological functioning of the neuroimmune system plays in health and disease, as well as the physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the neuroimmune system. The aim of psychoneuroendocrineimmunology is to study precisely what role the physiological functioning of the neuroimmune system plays in health and disease, as well as the physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the components of the immune system.

Connections between the brain and the immune system

As the field of psychoneuroendocrineimmunology grows and develops, many discrete pathways of communication between psychological factors and the immune system are being discovered.

Over the past few decades, the depth of integration between the nervous system and the immune system has been slowly shrinking, and one of the key aspects has been to better understand the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the impact that psychological stress has on this particular system.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA)

The HPA axis involves three small endocrine glands that secrete hormones directly into the blood.. The glands in question are the hypothalamus and pituitary, which are neurological neighbors, and the [adrenal glands](suprarenal glands), located on top of the kidneys. This triad of tissues controls reactions to stress and regulates processes such as digestion, the immune system, sexuality, mood and energy use.

A notable chemical at work in the HPA axis is corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The hypothalamus releases CRH in response to stress, illness, exercise, cortisol in the blood, and sleep-wake cycles. It peaks shortly after awakening and slowly decreases throughout the rest of the day.

However, in a stressed individual, cortisol levels rise for prolonged periods of time. During stress, the body believes it is in imminent danger, so cortisol triggers a series of metabolic changes to ensure that sufficient energy is available in case it is necessary to fight or flee. One of these energy-saving tactics is to suppress the metabolically costly immune system, saving vital glucose for the life-threatening event.

Of course, in modern humans, stress levels can rise for various reasons, and very few of these situations involve a real threat to survival and life. Thus, such continuous stress can reduce the capabilities of the immune system, with negative consequences for our health.

In contrast, there is evidence that oxytocin, produced during positive social interactions, helps to dampen the activity of the HPA axis. And furthermore, this has been shown to promote health benefits, such as increasing the speed of wound healing.

Different stress, different immune system

In a discipline such as psychoneuroendocrineimmunology, clinical research is very important.. A meta-analysis of 300 empirical studies found that certain types of stress alter different aspects of the immune system. Brief stressors, such as exams, were compared with chronic stressors, life-changing events such as caring for a loved one with dementia.

Brief stressors tend to suppress cell-mediated immunity (the type that deals with cellular invaders, such as viruses) while preserving humoral immunity (normally deals with pathogens outside cells, such as parasites and bacteria). Chronic stressors, on the other hand, tended to suppress both types of immunity.

Stress has a measurable effect on the strength of the immune system and, therefore, on its ability to protect us. In a very real way, controlling stress levels can help maximize the potency of the immune system. Research has shown time and again that people in stressful situations have measurable changes in physical responses to injury. Whether it is slower wound healing, a higher incidence of infections, or a worse prognosis for cancer survival.

For many years, the immune system has been considered an autonomous and independent mechanism, but as we now know, this is not the case. The brain communicates regularly with the cells of the immune system and vice versa.This tells us that stress is as much psychological as it is physical. Therefore, learning to manage stress is an important skill if we want to prevent and reduce the problems associated with many diseases and have our immune system in optimal condition.

The impact of the mind on our health

The effect of psychological factors on our health can be really significant.. A discipline such as psychoneuroendocrineimmunology has tried to investigate how the "mind" and cognition influence our immune system and our health in general, and the results can be surprising.

Below, let's take a look at some examples of what is known so far in this regard:

1. Psychological grief

Stories of recently deceased people dying shortly after their partner are quite common, and they are not usually apocryphal. A recent study that followed more than 90 000 widowed individuals found that during the first week after bereavement, mortality was twice the expected rate.

2. The gut

It is now fairly well established that there is a strong association between sustained stressful life events and the occurrence of symptoms in functional gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory bowel diseases and the so-called irritable bowel syndrome.

3. Cancer

Although there is no scientific evidence directly linking positive thinking to cancer reduction, health professionals working with cancer patients know very well that the patient's outlook, attitude and motivation and their amount and quality of psychological support can greatly affect the outcome of their disease.

4. H.I.V. (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

Research has found significant evidence that high levels of stress and decreased social support accelerate the progression of certain diseases, including H.I.V.

5. Skin problems

We know that conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and Asthma are conditioned by psychological aspects. The effect of daily stress can cause a person to have flare-ups or aggravate their symptoms.

6. Wound healing

The speed at which a surgical patient heals has also been related to psychological factors. For example, increased levels of fear or distress prior to surgery have been associated with worse outcomes, including longer hospital stays, more postoperative complications and higher rates of rehospitalization.

Furthermore, in a study in patients with chronic lower leg wounds, those who reported higher levels of depression and anxiety showed significantly delayed healing.

Literature references:

• Kanba, S. (2001). Psychoneuroimmunology: A Dialogue between the Brain and Immune System. Journal of International Society of Life Information Science, 19(1), 141-145.

• Pérez de Alejo Rodríguez, L. M., Moré Chang, C. X., González Álvarez, Y., & Alemán Zamora, A. (2019). Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology: call for an integral vision in medical studies. Edumecentro, 11(3), 254-261.

• Sivik, T., Byrne, D., Lipsitt, D. R., Christodoulou, G. N., & Dienstfrey, H. (2003). Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology (PNEI): A Common Language for the Whole Human Body. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 72(5), 292.