Functional and phenotypic immunological parameters were examined before, at the end of, and 20 minutes after the induction of positive and negative mood states, varied for arousal level, and a neutral state. The subjects were 14 male actors who experienced each condition on a different day. Compared with a neutral condition, all mood states affected several immune parameters (e.g., natural killer cell percentage and activity and percentage of suppressor/cytotoxic T cells), regardless of the valence or arousal level of the mood induced. The only immune variable differentially sensitive to positive and negative mood states was the proliferative response to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin; the response increased after positive moods and decreased after negative moods. Analysis of covariance for repeated measures indicated that heart rate, alone or in combination with physical activity and cortisol levels, had an impact on mood effects for most of the immune parameters investigated.
SYNOPSISFunctional and phenotypic immunological parameters were examined immediately before, after, and 30 minutes after experimentally-induced short-term positive (happiness) and negative (anxiety, depression) affective states and a neutral state, in five healthy subjects. Results indicated that all affective states induced more immune fluctuations (regardless of the direction) than the neutral state. Furthermore, among the affective states, anxiety induced the most immunological variability and depression the least.
Background. Although anecdotal reports indicate that patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy can become nauseated outside the chemotherapy clinic when they think or talk about treatment, this phenomenon has not been investigated systematically.
Methods. A series of experimental analyses with individual patients was conducted to explore the possibility that mental images of chemotherapy can elicit nausea in patients who, during the course of their treatment, experienced nausea in anticipation of chemotherapy infusions. Occurrence and intensity of nausea were examined in each patient in response to three imagery scenes: pastoral, a nonchemotherapy medical procedure, and chemotherapy.
Results. Eight of 10 patients with clinically documented histories of anticipatory nausea to clinic stimuli experienced nausea when they imagined chemotherapy. They did not become nauseated when they imagined non‐chemotherapy medical procedures. For the four patients without prior anticipatory nausea, imaginal reexposure to chemotherapy did not elicit nausea.
Conclusions. Results provide evidence that mental images of chemotherapy elicit nausea in patients with histories of anticipatory nausea and suggest that cognitive factors may play a more important role in the occurrence of chemotherapy side effects than previously recognized.
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