Psychoneuroimmunology of the life span: Impact of childhood stress on immune dysregulation and inflammatory disease in later life [Psychoneuroimmunologie des Lebenslaufs: Einfluss von Stress in der Kindheit auf Immunfunktionsst?rung und entzündliche Erkrankung im weiteren Leben]

摘要

Studies have shown clearly that childhood mistreatment, abuse and neglect are associated with severe inflammatory disease in adulthood (e.g. cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disorder) and shortened life span. This review deals with the psychoneuroimmunological pathways of this connection. It shows that chronic stressors interfere very early in life with those protective mechanisms of the biological stress system that normally down-regulate potentially harmful inflammation. In the long term, serious inflammatory diseases, such as allergic asthma, can result. In this review, the pathogenetic connections between allergic asthma and early stress and stress system dysfunction are discussed. As our understanding of the dysfunctional psychophysiological mechanisms of inflammatory disease increases, psychodiagnostic and psychotherapeutic intervention in the treatment of physical disease will become more specific.