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This term refers to the modulating role of the nervous system in relation to immune functions. This modulation reflects part of the bidirectional communication between the nervous system and the immune system. Neuroimmunomodulation is possible due to the existence of receptors for neurotransmitters (e.g., norepinephrine, acetylcholine) on immune cells and due to innervation of lymph nodes by sympathetic nervous system (SNS) fibers (Felten et al. 1984). These innervating fibers influence the trafficking and proliferation of immune cells, all evidence for neuroimmunomodulation. Another more recently discovered form of neuroimmunomodulation includes the one by the vagus nerve, where its descending (efferent) branches inhibit cytokine synthesis in peripheral monocytes, via the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (Tracey 2009). However, the precise process by which this occurs is still under investigation and may involve certain T cells in...
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References and Further Readings
Davidson, R. J., Coe, C. C., Dolski, I., & Donzella, B. (1999). Individual differences in prefrontal activation asymmetry predict natural killer cell activity at rest and in response to challenge. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 13, 93–108.
Felten, D. L., Livnat, S., Felten, S. Y., Carlson, S. L., Bellinger, D. L., & Yeh, P. (1984). Sympathetic innervation of lymph nodes in mice. Brain Research Bulletin, 13, 693–699.
Gidron, Y., Perry, H., & Glennie, M. (2005). The vagus may inform the brain about sub-clinical tumours and modulate them: An hypothesis. The Lancet Oncology, 6, 245–248.
Gidron, Y., Kupper, N., Waijtaal, M., Winter, J., & Denollet, J. (2007). Vagus-brain communication in atherosclerosis-related inflammation: A neuroimmunomodulation perspective of CAD. Atherosclerosis, 195, e1–e9.
Gidron, Y., Hall, P., Wesnes, K. A., & Bucks, R. S. (2010). Does a neuropsychological index of hemispheric lateralization predict onset of upper respiratory tract infectious symptoms? British Journal of Health Psychology, 15, 469–477.
Gidron, Y., De Couck, M., Van Laethem, J. L., Schallier, D., De Greve, J., Mareshall, R. (2016). Paper to be presented at the PCS 2nd International Lung Cancer Symposium, Budapest.
Lewis, R. S., Weekes, N. Y., & Wang, T. H. (2007). The effect of a naturalistic stressor on frontal EEG asymmetry, stress, and health. Biological Psychology, 75, 239–247.
Meador, K. J., Loring, D. W., Ray, P. G., Helman, S. W., Vazquez, B. R., & Neveu, P. J. (2004). Role of cerebral lateralization in control of immune processes in humans. Annals of Neurology, 55, 840–844.
Rosas-Ballina, M., Olofsson, P. S., Ochani, M., Valdés-Ferrer, S. I., Levine, Y. A., Reardon, C., Tusche, M. W., Pavlov, V. A., Andersson, U., Chavan, S., Mak, T. W., & Tracey, K. J. (2011). Acetylcholine-synthesizing T cells relay neural signals in a vagus nerve circuit. Science, 334, 98–101.
Tracey, K. J. (2009). Reflex control of immunity. Nature Reviews Immunology, 9, 418–428.
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Gidron, Y. (2016). Neuroimmunomodulation. In: Gellman, M., Turner, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1602-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1602-2
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