Behavioural conditioning of immune functions: how the central nervous system controls peripheral immune responses by evoking associative learning processes

During the last 30 years of psychoneuroimmunology research the intense bi-directional communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system has been demonstrated in studies on the interaction between the nervous-endocrine-immune systems. One of the most intriguing examples of such interaction is the capability of the CNS to associate an immune status with specific environmental stimuli. In this review, we systematically summarize experimental evidence demonstrating the behavioural conditioning of peripheral immune functions. In particular, we focus on the mechanisms underlying the behavioural conditioning process and provide a theoretical framework that indicates the potential feasibility of behaviourally conditioned immune changes in clinical situations

Irradiation in a flash: Unique sparing of memory in mice after whole brain irradiation with dose rates above 100 Gy/s

This study shows for the first time that normal brain tissue toxicities after WBI can be reduced with increased dose rate. Spatial memory is preserved after WBI with mean dose rates above 100 Gy/s, whereas 10 Gy WBI at a conventional radiotherapy dose rate (0.1 Gy/s) totally impairs spatial memory. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved