Psychoneuroimmunology

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a specialized field of research that studies the interactions between behavior, the brain, and the immune system systems of the body. The term was originally coined by Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen at the University of Rochester in 1975. The various disciplines involved in the mult-disciplinary interaction includes (but are not limited to) psychology, neurosciences, immunology, pharmacology, psychiatry, behavioral medicine, infectious diseases, endocrinology and rheumatology. They exchange ideas among them for better understanding of the interactions between the nervous system and the immune system, and the relationship between behavior and health.

The Placebo effect and psychosomatic disease are part of this subject.

See also

• Neuroimmunology
• Neuroendocrinology

External links

• The pioneering article
• PNI Research Society
• A brief introduction for laity
• Links to useful resources
• Online Resources Psychoneuroimmunology