Psychoneuroimmunology

(3 Credits)

This course explores the interactions between psychosocial factors, stress, the immune system, and the brain and their overall relation to both health and illness. The physiology and anatomy of the immune and neuroendocrine systems are studied. Several concepts of stress are introduced. The scientific and anecdotal evidence accumulating in the field of pyschoneuroimmunology is reviewed with an attempt at synthesis into a holistic framework that can serve as the basis for future research, as the rationale for therapeutic interventions, or as the motivator for a change in lifestyle.