Ever wonder why stress seems to make you more susceptible to colds, or how a positive attitude is linked to better recovery? Cutting-edge research is revealing that the age-old concept of the “mind-body” connection is more than just a feel-good philosophy – it’s hard-wired into our biology.

Scientists studying the rapidly evolving field of neuroimmunology are discovering a complex network of communication channels between the brain and the immune system. It turns out our brains are in constant conversation with our immune cells, influencing how our bodies respond to everything from infections to cancer.

Excitingly, these discoveries are paving the way for entirely new approaches to treatment. Imagine boosting the effectiveness of a vaccine simply by changing a patient’s mindset, or shrinking tumors by stimulating specific brain regions. Researchers are already exploring the potential of these groundbreaking therapies in animal models, with promising early results (Kwan, 2023).

Some of the impressive findings:

• Stimulating a brain region involved in positive emotion reduced heart attack damage in mice.
• Activating neurons in the ventral tegmental area

  

  (VTA) shrank lung and skin tumors in mice.

• Specific brain circuits were identified that mobilize immune cells during acute stress.

This research challenges the traditional separation of mind and body in medicine, highlighting the powerful influence our thoughts, feelings, and experiences have on our physical health. While much remains to be discovered, one thing is clear: understanding and harnessing the intricate connection between our brains and our immune systems holds the key to unlocking a new era of medicine.

We are already offering several psychological cognitive tools that could be used at home to leverage these brain-immune system connections: 

1. Positive past recall and future visualization that activates reward centers like the VTA, potentially influencing immune responses. 
2. Gratitude Journaling with a Twist when we write about how each item makes you feel physically in your body, potentially strengthening the mind-body connection. 
3. Cognitive Reframing Games that practice rapidly reinterpreting negative situations in a positive light, potentially training the insula and other emotion-processing regions. 
4. Body-Mind Feedback Loop. 
5. Narrative Therapy Exercises that influence brain regions involved in self-perception and emotional processing.
6. Purposeful Action Planning, a tool that potentially engage reward and motivation centers in the brain.

Kwon, D. (2023). How the brain controls sickness and health. Nature, Vol 614, 23 February 2023.