Abstract
This chapter puts behavioral medicine in context of one of the most common health problems, the common cold. After describing the opening case, the chapter reviews the incidence, consequences, and pathophysiology of the upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).
Psychological risk factors of the URTI are reviewed which include chronic stress, low positive affectivity, and little social support, to name but a few factors. The cognitive-behavioral consequences of the common cold are reviewed followed by the PNI pathways linking psychosocial factors to the URTI. We then learn about the effects of psychological interventions on preventing the URTI and finish this chapter by retuning to its opening case. This chapter represents one of the most profound and empirically consistent evidences for the role of behavioral medicine in a health condition.
Keywords
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Aarts, A. A., Open Science Collaboration, et al. (2015). Psychology. Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science. Science, 349(6251), aac4716.
Barrett, B., Hayney, M. S., Muller, D., Rakel, D., Ward, A., Obasi, C. N., Brown, R., Zhang, Z., Zgierska, A., Gern, J., West, R., Ewers, T., Barlow, S., Gassman, M., & Coe, C. L. (2012). Meditation or exercise for preventing acute respiratory infection: A randomized controlled trial. The Annals of Family Medicine, 10(4), 337–346.
Beyer, J. A., Lumley, M. A., Latsch, D. V., Oberleitner, L. M., Carty, J. N., & Radcliffe, A. M. (2014). Computer-based written emotional disclosure: The effects of advance or real-time guidance and moderation by Big 5 personality traits. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 27(5), 477–493.
Bramley, T. J., Lerner, D., & Sarnes, M. (2002). Productivity losses related to the common cold. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 44(9), 822–829.
Brooks, J. L., Mirhabibollahi, B., & Kroll, R. G. (1991). Increased sensitivity of an enzyme-amplified colorimetric immunoassay for protein A-bearing Staphylococcus aureus in foods. Journal of Immunological Methods, 140(1), 79–84.
Bucks, R. S., Gidron, Y., Harris, P., Teeling, J., Wesnes, K. A., & Perry, V. H. (2008). Selective effects of upper respiratory tract infection on cognition, mood and emotion processing: A prospective study. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 22(3), 399–407.
Capuron, L., Lamarque, D., Dantzer, R., & Goodall, G. (1999). Attentional and mnemonic deficits associated with infectious disease in humans. Psychological Medicine, 29(2), 291–297.
Cobb, J. M. T., & Steptoe, A. (1998). Psychosocial influences on upper respiratory infectious illness in children. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 45(4), 319–330.
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357.
Cohen, S., Tyrrell, D. A., & Smith, A. P. (1991). Psychological stress and susceptibility to the common cold. New England Journal of Medicine, 325(9), 606–612.
Cohen, S., Frank, E., Doyle, W. J., Skoner, D. P., Rabin, B. S., & Gwaltney, J. M., Jr. (1998). Types of stressors that increase susceptibility to the common cold in healthy adults. Health Psychology, 17(3), 214–223.
Cohen, S., Hamrick, N., Rodriguez, M. S., Feldman, P. J., Rabin, B. S., & Manuck, S. B. (2002). Reactivity and vulnerability to stress-associated risk for upper respiratory illness. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(2), 302–310.
Cohen, S., Doyle, W. J., Turner, R., Alper, C. M., & Skoner, D. P. (2003). Sociability and susceptibility to the common cold. Psychological Science, 14(5), 389–395.
Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., Doyle, W. J., Miller, G. E., Frank, E., Rabin, B. S., & Turner, R. B. (2012). Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. Procedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, 109(16), 5995–5999.
Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., Turner, R. B., Casselbrant, M. L., Li-Korotky, H. S., Epel, E. S., & Doyle, W. J. (2013). Association between telomere length and experimentally induced upper respiratory viral infection in healthy adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 309(7), 699–705.
Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., Turner, R. B., & Doyle, W. J. (2015). Does hugging provide stress-buffering social support? A study of susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and illness. Psychological Science, 26(2), 135–147.
Costa, P. T., Jr., & McCrae, R. R. (1987). Neuroticism, somatic complaints, and disease: Is the bark worse than the bite? Journal of Personality, 55(2), 299–316.
Davidson, R. J. (2004). What does the prefrontal cortex “do” in affect: Perspectives on frontal EEG asymmetry research. Biological Psychology, 67(1-2), 219–233.
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(2), 93–108.
Dickerson, S. S., & Kemeny, M. E. (2004). Acute stressors and cortisol responses: A theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research. Psychological Bulletin, 130(3), 355–391.
Forsythe, C. J., & Compas, B. E. (1987). Interaction of cognitive appraisals of stressful events and coping: Testing the goodness of fit hypothesis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 11(4), 473–485.
Fukuda, F., Bridges, C. B., & Brammer, T. L. (1999). Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP). MMWR Recommendations & Reports, 48, 1–28.
Gidron, Y., Duncan, E., Lazar, A., Biderman, A., Tandeter, H., & Shvartzman, P. (2002). Effects of guided written disclosure of stressful experiences on clinic visits and symptoms in frequent clinic attenders. Family Practice, 19(2), 161–166.
Gidron, Y., Hassid, A., Yisrael, H., & Biderman, A. (2005). Do psychological factors predict occurrence of influenza-like symptoms in vaccinated elderly residents of a sheltered home? British Journal of Health Psychology, 10(3), 411–420.
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(3), 469–477.
Greve, J. M., Davis, G., Meyer, A. M., Forte, C. P., Yost, S. C., Marlor, C. W., Kamarck, M. E., & McClelland, A. (1989). The major human rhinovirus receptor is ICAM-1. Cell, 56(5), 839–847.
Gross, P. A., Hermogenes, A. W., Sacks, H. S., Lau, J., & Levandowski, R. A. (1995). The efficacy of influenza vaccine in elderly persons: A meta-analysis and review of the literature. Annals of Internal Medicine, 123(7), 518–527.
Hellard, P., Guimaraes, F., Avalos, M., Houel, N., Hausswirth, C., & Toussaint, J. F. (2011). Modeling the association between HR variability and illness in elite swimmers. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(6), 1063–1070.
Hendley, J. O. (1998). Editorial comment: The host response, not the virus, causes the symptoms of the common cold. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 26, 847–848.
Hewson-Bower, B., & Drummond, P. D. (2001). Psychological treatment for recurrent symptoms of colds and flu in children. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 51(1), 369–377.
Hwang, I., Scott, J. M., Kakarla, T., Duriancik, D. M., Choi, S., Cho, C., Lee, T., Park, H., French, A. R., Beli, E., Gardner, E., & Kim, S. (2012). Activation mechanisms of natural killer cells during influenza virus infection. PLoS One, 7(12), 1–10.
Johnston, S. L., Bardin, P. G., Pattemore, P. K. (1993). Viruses as precipitants of asthma symptoms III. Rhinoviruses: molecular biology and prospects for future intervention. Clinical and Experimenral Allergy, 23, 237–246.
Karasek, R. A., Jr. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24, 285–308.
Kim, H. C., Park, S. G., Leem, J. H., Jung, D. Y., & Hwang, S. H. (2011). Depressive symptoms as a risk factor for the common cold among employees: A 4-month follow-up study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 71(3), 194–196.
Lampert, R., Tuit, K., Hong, K. I., Donovan, T., Lee, F., & Sinha, R. (2016). Cumulative stress and autonomic dysregulation in a community sample. Stress, 19(3), 269–279.
Levandowski, R. A., Weaver, C. W., & Jackson, G. G. (1988). Nasal-secretion leukocyte populations determined by flow cytometry during acute rhinovirus infection. Journal of Medical Virology, 25(4), 423–432.
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(3), 239–247.
Miller, G. E., Cohen, S., & Ritchey, A. K. (2002). Chronic psychological stress and the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines: A glucocorticoid-resistance model. Health Psychology, 21(6), 531–541.
Narni-Mancinelli, E., Jaeger, B. N., Bernat, C., Fenis, A., Kung, S., De Gassart, A., Mahmood, S., Gut, M., Heath, S. C., Estellé, J., Bertosio, E., Vely, F., Gastinel, L. N., Beutler, B., Malissen, B., Malissen, M., Gut, I. G., Vivier, E., & Ugolini, S. (2012). Tuning of natural killer cell reactivity by NKp46 and Helios calibrates T cell responses. Science, 335(6066), 344–348.
Ohira, H., Matsunaga, M., Osumi, T., Fukuyama, S., Shinoda, J., Yamada, J., & Gidron, Y. (2013). Vagal nerve activity as a moderator of brain–immune relationships. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 260(1-2), 28–36.
Park, S. G., Kim, H. C., Min, J. Y., Hwang, S. H., Park, Y. S., & Min, K. B. (2010). A prospective study of work stressors and the common cold. Occupational Medicine, 61(1), 53–56.
Pedersen, A., Zachariae, R., & Bovbjerg, D. H. (2010). Influence of psychological stress on upper respiratory infection—A meta-analysis of prospective studies. Psychosomatic Medicine, 72(8), 823–832.
Proud, D., Gwaltney, J. M., Jr., Hendley, J. O., Dinarello, C. A., Gillis, S., & Schleimer, R. P. (1994). Increased levels of interleukin-1 are detected in nasal secretions of volunteers during experimental rhinovirus colds. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 169(5), 1007–1013.
Reichenberg, A., Yirmiya, R., Schuld, A., Kraus, T., Haack, M., Morag, A., & Pollmächer, T. (2001). Cytokine-associated emotional and cognitive disturbances in humans. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(5), 445–452.
Rossmann, M. G., & Palmenberg, A. C. (1988). Conservation of the putative receptor attachment site in picornaviruses. Virology, 164(2), 373–382.
Rowlands, D. J. (1995). Rhinoviruses and cells: Molecular aspects. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 152(4), S31–S35.
Schaubroeck, J., Jones, J. R., & Xie, J. L. (2001). Individual differences in utilizing control to cope with job demands: Effects on susceptibility to infectious disease. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(2), 265–278.
Smith, A. P. (2013). Effects of upper respiratory tract illnesses and stress on alertness and reaction time. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38(10), 2003–2009.
Smith, A. P., Thomas, M., Brockman, P., Kent, J., & Nicholson, K. G. (1993). Effect of influenza B virus infection on human performance. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 306(6880), 760–761.
Sumner, R. C., Parton, A., Nowicky, A. V., Kishore, U., & Gidron, Y. (2011). Hemispheric lateralisation and immune function: A systematic review of human research. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 240, 1–12.
Taylor, S. E. (1995). Health psychology (3rd ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill.
Tracey, K. J. (2009). Reflex control of immunity. Nature Reviews Immunology, 9(6), 418–428.
Turner, R. B. (1997). Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of the common cold. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 78(6), 531–540.
Van Kempen, M., Bachert, C., & Van Cauwenberge, P. (1999). An update on the pathophysiology of rhinovirus upper respiratory tract infections. Rhinology, 37, 97–103.
Vedhara, K., Cox, N. K., Wilcock, G. K., Perks, P., Hunt, M., Anderson, S., Lightman, S. L., & Shanks, N. M. (1999). Chronic stress in elderly carers of dementia patients and antibody response to influenza vaccination. The Lancet, 353(9153), 627–631.
Vingerhoets, A. J., Van Huijgevoort, M., & Van Heck, G. L. (2002). Leisure sickness: A pilot study on its prevalence, phenomenology, and background. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 71(6), 311–317.
Winther, B., Farr, B., Turner, R. B., Hendley, J. O., Gwaltney, J. M., & Mygind, N. (1984). Histopathologic examination and enumeration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the nasal mucosa during experimental rhinovirus colds. Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 98(sup417), 19–24.
Zhu, Z., Tang, W., Ray, A., Wu, Y., Einarsson, O., Landry, M. L., Gwaltney, J., Jr., & Elias, J. A. (1996). Rhinovirus stimulation of interleukin-6 in vivo and in vitro. Evidence for nuclear factor kappa B-dependent transcriptional activation. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 97(2), 421–430.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gidron, Y. (2019). Psychological Risk Factors of the Common Cold and Its Behavioral Consequences. In: Behavioral Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18893-1_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18893-1_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-18891-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-18893-1
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)