Psychoimmunology
- 1. PSYCHOIMMUNOLOGY V. BOOMINATHAN M.Sc (Nursing) 1st year MTPG & RIHS
- 2. INTRODUCTION • Psycho immunology is relatively new field of study , examines the effect of psychosocial stressors on the body’s immune system. • Nervous system and the immune system represent two networks within the body.
- 3. CONT..
- 4. HISTORY • Relationship between psychiatric syndromes and immune function has been a consistent theme since the beginning of modern medicine. • In 1964, George F. Solomon , from the university of California and his research team coined the term “Psychoimmunology” and published a landmark paper : Emotions, immunity , and disease : a speculative theoretical integration
- 5. DEFINITION • PSYCHOIMMUNOLOGY • “ The branch of medicine that studies the effect of psychological and social factors on the functioning of the immune system”. OR • “The study of the connection between the mind and the immune system”.
- 6. ORGANS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
- 7. IMMUNITY Immunity is the state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, diseases , or other unwanted biological invasion .It is the capability of the body to resist harmful microbes from entering it. Types of Immunity 1. Innate immunity 2. Acquired immunity • Active (own antibodies) • Passive ( Readymade antibodies)
- 8. CLASSIFICATION OF IMMUNE SYSTEM
- 9. NORMAL IMMUNE RESPONSES • Cell responsible for nonspecific reactions include neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages • They work to destroy the invasive organism and initiate and facilitate damaged tissue. • If these cells are not effective in accomplishing a satisfactory healing response, specific immune mechanism take over
- 10. CONT.. • Specific immune system are divided into two major types • 1. The cellular response • 2. Humoral response cellular response – T lymphocytes (cells) CONTROLLING ELEMENT Humoral response – B lymphocytes(cells)
- 11. CONT.. Invasion of specific antigen T cells (Helper cells ) became sensitized and specific for the foreign antigen It divides many times then producing antigen – specific CD 4 cells with other functions one of these called Killer T cell and another one called suppressor T cells Killer T cell Destroys viruses that produce inside other cells by puncturing the cell membrane of the host cell and allowing the contents of the cell, including viruses to spill out into the blood stream , where they can be engulfed by macrophages
- 12. CONT.. • suppressor T cells - stops the immune response once the foreign antigen has been destroyed • The Humoral response is activated when antigen specific CD 4 cells communicate with the B cells in the spleen and lymph nodes. The B cells in turn produce the antibodies specific to the foreign antigen. Antibodies attach themselves to foreign antigen so that they are unable to invade body cells . These invaders cells are then destroyed without being able to multiply
- 14. IMPLICATIONSOF THE IMMUNESYSTEM IN PSYCHIATRICILLNESS • In studies of the biological response to stress, it has been hypnotized that individuals become more susceptible to physical illness following a stressful stimulus or life events this response is thought to be due to increased glut cortical release form the cortex following stimulation from the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal axis during stressful situations.
- 15. CONT..
- 16. CONT.. • Growth hormone, which may be released in response to certain stressors, may enhance immune functioning, whereas testosterone is thought to inhibit immune functioning. • Increased production of epinephrine and norepinephrine occurs in response to stress, and may decrease immunity.
- 17. CONT.. • Studies have correlated a decrease in lymphocyte functioning with periods of grief, bereavement, and depression, associating the degree of altered immunity with severity of the depression. • A number of research studies have been conducted attempting to correlate the onset of schizophrenia abnormalities of the immune system. These studies have considered autoimmune responses, viral infections, and immunogenetics
- 18. CONT.. • Immunological abnormalities have also been investigated in a number of other psychiatric illness, including alcoholism, autism spectrum disorder, and neurocognitive disorder.
- 19. THANK YOU