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Psychoneuroimmunology Basics Flashcards

7 cards from real HCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Psychoneuroimmunology Basics flashcards as text

  1. Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with the 'rest and digest' state and plays a role in calming immune activation?

    Answer: Acetylcholine

    Acetylcholine, released by the parasympathetic nervous system, activates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway to reduce immune activation.

  2. In PNI research, what is the term for immune cells that have receptors for neuropeptides and can respond to signals from the nervous system?

    Answer: Immunocytes

    Immunocytes (immune cells such as T cells, B cells, and NK cells) express receptors for neuropeptides, allowing direct nervous-system-to-immune signaling.

  3. Which brain structure is most directly responsible for detecting psychosocial threats and initiating the HPA stress response?

    Answer: Amygdala

    The amygdala evaluates emotional and social threat signals and triggers CRH release to activate the HPA axis.

  4. Secretory IgA (sIgA), found in saliva and mucous membranes, tends to decrease under which condition relevant to holistic coaching?

    Answer: Chronic psychosocial stress

    Chronic psychosocial stress suppresses sIgA production, reducing mucosal immunity and increasing susceptibility to respiratory infections.

  5. What is 'allostatic load' in the context of PNI?

    Answer: The cumulative wear and tear on the body from chronic stress responses

    Allostatic load refers to the cumulative physiological cost of repeated or chronic stress adaptations, contributing to disease risk.

  6. Which type of immune cells are known as 'natural killer' cells, and how does acute psychological stress typically affect them?

    Answer: NK cells; stress transiently increases their activity

    NK cells show a transient increase in number and cytotoxic activity during acute stress due to catecholamine mobilization from bone marrow.

  7. In PNI, the 'hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal' axis ultimately produces which end hormone that modulates immune function?

    Answer: Cortisol

    The HPA axis culminates in cortisol release from the adrenal cortex, which broadly suppresses inflammation and modulates immune cell trafficking.