ABSTRACT
A number of clinical studies have described relationships between severe life stress, depression, and alterations in cellular immunity. However, few studies have evaluated the physiological mechanisms by which the central nervous system might coordinate immune function. In this chapter, recent data from clinical and preclinical investigations in our laboratory are presented that focus on two primary objectives: (a) to characterize further the relationship between psychological processes and immune function, and (b) to examine the mechanisms by which the central nervous system communicates with immune cells. Using an animal model, central corticotropin-releasing factor has been found to modulate natural killer (NK) cell activity by activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
