The mind can regulate the immune system. And through directed thinking, people can learn to turn on immune-boosting brain areas, a new study finds.
The idea that the brain can influence the body emerged long ago, says Tor Wager. He’s a neuroscientist at Dartmouth University in Hanover, N.H. But only in the last few years have there been “real breakthroughs in understanding the neuroscience behind this,” he says.
Positive expectations turn on one part of the brain’s reward system. This region triggers the feelings of pleasure we get from eating good food, winning a game or receiving a compliment. Nerve cells in this part of the brain respond to such rewards by releasing the chemical dopamine.
Tamar Koren is a physician scientist at Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel. She was part of a team that used genetic methods to stimulate these “reward” cells in mice.
Turning on those neurons brought surprising health benefits. The mice were better able to fight bacterial infections and Read Entire Article
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