Psychoneuroimmunology -- Can We Control Our Immune Systems?

This is Part I of a two-part series to be continued in the July-August issue.

Summary:

This article looks at the controversial issue of mind-body therapy. In particular it will examine the relatively new science of Psychoneuroimmunology, its formation and its relevance to the medical community in finding potential cures for disease through the immune system. This article will also look at some of the alternative therapies, which have proven to be successful, and for which Psychoneuroimmunology provides a potential scientific reason for their success.

For this is the great error of our day that the physicians separate the soul from the body. Hippocrates

Introduction:

A traditional view, still held by many scientists, is that the immune system is autonomous. That is to say that it is self-regulatory and functions separately and independently from the rest of the body. With the increasing focus on the relatively new science of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) these old views are becoming less legitimate.

The name Psychoneuroimmunology was provided in 1975, by Dr. Robert Ader, director of the division of behavioural and psychosocial medicine at New York's University of Rochester. Dr. Ader believes that there is a link between what we think (our state of mind) and our health and our ability to heal ourselves. In particular, this was borne out in a study conducted by Dr. Ader and his colleagues, which showed that it is possible to classically condition, the immune system(1). The experiment that caused this development consisted of feeding mice with saccharin while simultaneously injecting a drug that caused upset stomach. By association, the mice learned to avoid the saccharin. An additional side effect of the drug used was that it suppressed the immune system. When the experiment was repeated without the drug to reverse the aversion Dr. Ader found a high proportion of the mice formerly injected died when receiving saccharin alone.

Dr. Ader hypothesized that the conditioning had been so successful that saccharin alone suppressed the immune system enough to kill the mice.(2) It is possible then, that when there is stress on the organism, mental or physical, that there is a corresponding link between the two. That is to say, if a person has a mental state of depression, this state can be interpreted by the body to produce lethargy and other corresponding ailments. Conversely, if the body is diagnosed as ailing from a serious disease, i.e. cancer, a negative mental state may ensue. By conditioning the immune system through mental processes a connection in communication has been made. Providing patients with some feeling of control over their circumstances may create a positive outlook and attitude. Some believe that this may, Inoculate against disease and act as a valuable supplement to conventional medical care.(3)

Psychoneuroimmunology then is the scientific field of study investigating the link between bi-directional communications among the nervous system, the endocrine (hormone) system, and the immune system and the implications of these linkages for physical health.

This article will look at the history behind Psychoneuroimmunology, and the different sciences that make up Psychoneuroimmunology. It will also look at the research behind these sciences and the different therapies that compliment these studies. In addition, the notion that all non-allopathic medicine is placebo response will be discussed.

A Brief History of Mind-Body Medicine:

There is, and has always been, much controversy over the mind and body connection. It is interesting how the history affected medical philosophies causing the dichotomy between eastern and western medical cultures.

Looking at the ancients, one can see a strong connection in their beliefs that the mind and the body should be treated as the whole. Hippocrates, often referred to as the father of medicine, would caution against not including all of the possibilities in healing. In Chinese medicine the belief is held that certain organs of the body represent various mental or emotional conditions. In addition, a lot of connections are made to nature, through energy meridian lines and hands on manipulation (acupressure). The practitioner will take the time to look into the person's life and see what is happening that may cause a change in the `balance of the organism within the environment'. Knowing what psychological situations are going on in someone's life becomes important when deciding upon what course of treatment to follow.

In the present day western system, the doctor spends only as much time as needed to generally inquire about the symptoms of the ailment, and then to prescribe a particular medicine. This system is derived from the philosophies of Rene Descartes in the seventeenth century. Descartes believed `there are two distinct and separate substances in the world: matter, which behaved according to physical laws, and spirit, which was dimensionless and immaterial'.(4) A belief that these were the differences of spirit and body and that the two were totally unrelated became the philosophy of the day. And so it became that the western culture accepted that pathogens were the cause of all disease. This theory was substantiated in the late nineteenth century by a study of Robert Koch, a German doctor who injected the disease anthrax into healthy sheep and noticed they too contracted the disease and died. From this. `Koch theorised that every disease had a simple, specific cause: germs'.(5)

In the 1920's, Dr. Walter Cannon, a professor of physiology at Harvard University, looked at the need for mental and physical balance throughout the organism and coined the term, "Homeostasis", from the Greek word homoios, meaning similar, and stasis, meaning position. It was his studies into the relationship between the effects of emotions and perceptions on the autonomic nervous system, namely the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses that initiated the recognition of the `fight or flight response'.(6) Following on Cannon's work was that of Hans Selye. Selye experimented with animals putting them under different physical and mental adverse conditions and noted that under these conditions the body consistently adapted to heal and recover. He referred to this as the general adaptation syndrome. Selye also noticed during this adaptation the thymus and other major organs of the immune system shrank. In these studies it was found if the stress of the environment was continued then the immune system reduced and the animal would be overwhelmed and die. These studies validated the path for the connection between emotional states affecting physiological behaviour and states.

Current Research in the Field:

Research continued in the area of molecular communication between the mind and the body, this however was often seen as unwelcome by the existing science community. Research over the past twenty years has seen the development of Psychoneuroimmunology, which is based primarily upon the neuro sciences of the central nervous systems, the neuroendocrine system and the immune system and their inter-relationships. The central nervous system is a huge array of connections throughout the body incorporating sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. It allows the brain to send information throughout the body via chemicals generally referred to as information substances (IS). It was once thought that the brain sent out these information substances to respond to the various problems in the body and that the communication was that of a one way direction. What has become clear is that the central nervous system virtually controls the body's defense mechanisms. This being said, Every thought, emotion, idea or belief has a neurochemical consequence(7).

These natural chemical messengers, called Neuropeptides, were at one time thought to be found in the brain alone. Pioneering research by neuropharmacologist, Candice Pert, revealed that these neuropeptides are present on both the cell walls of the brain and in the immune system.(8) These information substances affect our emotions as well as our physiology. These cells of the body have their own receptors on the surface that act like satellite dishes. These receptors receive the chemical information substances being released by the brain and sometimes return messages at the appropriate times. Pert believes that peptides probably provide solutions to every medical problem.(9) As these complex messengers travel throughout the body they provide vital information and sometimes almost instant physical feedback. If you have ever encountered something unpleasant, possibly by surprise, you may have found yourself instantly shivering, then literally shaking off the feeling produced. This is a simple example of how fast the information can be transmitted from thought to physiology. The emotions we create are just that, created. This requires input from the brain. The centre for the brain that deals with emotional issues is the limbic system and in particular the hypothalamus. The discovery by Candice Pert, that neuropeptides and neurotransmitters are also on cell walls of the immune system shows a close association with emotions and suggests that emotions and health are deeply interdependent. Showing that the immune and endocrine systems are modulated not only by the brain but by the central nervous system itself has had an impact on how we see disease and how its created. For its part, the endocrine system is a series of hormone secreting glands that themselves moderate the function and balance of the body. Primarily the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands send these hormonal chemicals to regulate the function of other organs. Using this network of transmitters and receivers the body is in constant adjustment to ensure balance.

The balance is kept as long as the immune system is functioning optimally. The immune system is literally on patrol throughout the body and is a complex surveillance system. The immune cells, called Lymphocytes (white blood cells)

are the keys to the immune system. Produced initially in the bone marrow of long bones, some of these cells known as stem cells will migrate to the thymus where they multiply and are known as T cells. Those cells that remain in the bone marrow mature to become B cells. Each attacks the enemy in different ways. Circulating the body, when these antigens are discovered an army of appropriate cells (antibodies) is produced to attack the invader. To prevent this army of cells taking over, they in turn are suppressed and attacked. On this continuous patrol, natural killer (NK) cells attack and destroy cells that are produced by the organism which are mutated or abnormal. It is this action which prevents most people contracting cancers or other immune deficient problems such as A.I.D.S.

Research has indicated that an inextricable chemical link exists between our emotions, which includes all stress in our lives, both good and bad, and the regulatory systems of the endocrine and immune systems through the central nervous system. This research emphasizes the importance of expressing our emotions both verbally and physically in an appropriate way. When strong emotions generate fear, anger or rage and these are not expressed in a healthy way then the body's natural response is that of the sympathetic nervous system as demonstrated in Cannon's research on homeostasis and the fight or flight syndrome. At this point, inappropriate storing of these stressful emotions produces an excess of epinephrine. This excess of epinephrine causes a chemical breakdown, resulting in internal weakening of the immune system and an increased potential for disease.

For all of the research that has been conducted and continues to be conducted, this new research is not without its detractors. In 1985, Marcia Angell published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine on the new science of Psychoneuroimmunology in which she labelled the science "folklore". She stated that, No one had unequivocally shown a state of mind can cause or cure a disease.(10)

Imagination is more important than knowledge, for while knowledge points to all there is, imagination points to all there will be. Albert Einstein

Mind-Body Therapies:

The application of this field is truly cross-disciplinary and is readily available to the public. There are many techniques and they may be used by a variety of professionals. These professionals include: medical doctors, nurses, naturopaths, osteopaths, Chinese medicine and Chiropractors for the body model and psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, hypnotherapists and counsellors for the mind model. It now becomes a choice for the individual as to whether they attend these mind-body therapies used by a traditional medical person or a practitioner from one of the complimentary systems. While the systems purporting to deliver mind-body therapies are many, this article will restrict itself to a brief overview of some of the most popular of those with recorded successes.

To be continued in the next issue of Subconsciously Speaking

Endnotes:

(1) Kiecolt-Glaser J.K. &. Glaser R. "Psychoneuroimmunology: Past, Present & Future," Health Psychology 8(6): 1989,677-682

(2) Hall Stephen S. "A Molecular Code Links Emotions, Mind and Health," Smithsonian, June 1989

(3) Maranto Gina, "Emotions: How They Affect Your Body," Discover; November 1984, 35

(4) Hafen Brent Q, Karren Keith J., Frandsen Kathryn J., Lee Smith N., "The Effects of Attitudes, Emotions, & Relationships" 23 Allyn & Bacon Massachusetts

(5) Hafen Brent Q, Karren Keith J., Frandsen Kathryn J., Lee Smith N., "The Effects of Attitudes, Emotions, & Relationships" 23 Allyn & Bacon Massachusetts

(6) Gordon James S. M.D. "Testimony to the House Appropriations Committee Chairman" November 5th 1997 3-4

(7) Watkins Alan M.D. "Mind Body Medicine" Churchill Livingstone 1997 P.3

(8) Gordon James S. M.D. "Testimony to the House Appropriations Committee Chairman" November 5th 1997 5

(9) Hafen Brent Q, Karren Keith J., Frandsen Kathryn J., Lee Smith N., "The Effects of Attitudes, Emotions, & Relationships" 30 Allyn & Bacon Massachusetts

(10) Angell Marcia, "Disease as a Reflection of the Psyche," New England Journal of Medicine, 312: 1985, 1570-1572

Jay Quinlan owns and operates Global Learning Solutions Inc., a company that provides both individual and group therapeutic sessions within the Neuro Linguistic & Hypnotherapeutic processes. In addition, Jay provides training and seminars in related topics and communication skills. Jay is an approved school director with the International Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy Association[TM]. If you wish to contact Jay you can do so at [phone]/[phone], Email [e-mail]