Neuroimaging in psychoneuroimmunology research

Abstract

The human immune system hard wired to defend physical health against microorganisms and disease, also offers a response to psychological factors. Stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions can lead to the increase of cytokine production and the prolongation of the inflammation process and the time necessary to recover using antibiotics. This interconnectedness of the immune system, stress, and emotions is the rationale behind the branch of science known as psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). Modern studies neuroimaging technology provided a deeper insight into brain-body link in different affective disorders with the focus on brain. Furthermore, the neuroimaging can help to quantify the mind-body therapies drug treatments effects. This chapter provide a detailed description of the PNI and then analyze the concepts of chronic inflammation in health, neuroimaging methodologies in PNI, and the effects of mind-body therapies and pharmacological approaches to change brain-immune connections. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.