Perceptions, emotions and immunity: an integrated homoeostatic network

摘要

There are a great number of similarities between the CNS and immune system. They are both stimulus -response systems which relate the organism to the outside world. They possess sophisticated memories, and mediate defence and adaptation to external and internal threats to homoeostasis. The immune system senses non-cognitive stimuli not recognized by the CNS, and the CNS senses cognitive information not recognized by the immune system. There is now overwhelming evidence to suggest that the two systems communicate with each other in a bidirectional flow of cytokines, steroids and neuro-peptides.