User:Crieraq/Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology

Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology (KPNI from the Dutch Klinische Psychoneuro-Immunologie) is a translational medical discipline, based on scientific evidence, that studies how the interaction between different medical specialties, primarily neurology, endocrinology, immune response and metabolism, play a key role in the health of individuals.

Its objective is the development of protocols for clinical practice that aid in the development of personalized medicine,  allowing a more comprehensive patient health model. KPNI delves into different pathologies through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates psychological, social and ecological aspects of the patient’s life. In this sense, the symptoms of diseases are treated, but above all, their underlying causes are addressed by carrying out a complete evaluation of the individual, not only studying present symptoms, but also their medical and personal history, through the analysis of biological biomarkers, questionnaires and a thorough anamnesis in which unique metamodels are used as important tools.

The scientist Dr. Leo Pruimboom, a leader in the field, stands out as a great promoter of this healthcare trend.

History
Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology is based on a line of scientific research carried out throughout the 20th century, starting in 1936, when Dr. Hans Selye described for the first time the physiological response to stressful situations. In 1975, the researchers Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen, from the University of Rochester demonstrated how immune responses can be modified through classical conditioning. They also coined the term Psychoneuroinmunology, a scientific discipline that studies the interconnection between the mind, the nervous system and the immune system.

In 1981, Dr. David L. Felten group discovered a nerve network through which blood vessels communicated with immune cells, providing the first physiological evidence of connections between the nervous and immune systems. Four years later, Dr. Candance Pert and her team found specific receptors for neuropeptides and neurotransmitters in the cell walls of both immune cells and brain cells, which demonstrated the bidirectional psychosomatic network that connects the immune and endocrine systems.

In 1986, the experiments conducted by Dr. Leo Pruimboom, later collected in his doctoral thesis, led him to develop and direct the first Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology program at the Universidad San Pablo CEU in Madrid (Spain). Afterwards it moved to the University Europea, also in Madrid, then to the University of Graz (Austria), the University of Girona (Spain). Today the Pontifical University of Salamanca (Spain) hosts the master in CPNI. It is then, starting at the University San Pablo Ceu, that the KPNI and the corresponding protocols for its optimal implementation began to be transferred to health professionals.

Currently, this discipline has advanced in specific protocols that involve the analysis of biological biomarkers and other tools to translate symptoms into objective signals. These protocols also propose an interdisciplinary understanding of the processes that lead to chronic pathologies, taking as a basis, on the one hand, the theory of the selfish brain by Achim Peters (University of Lübeck, Germany) and, on the other, the works by Rainer Straubb (University of Regensburg, Germany), on the unbalanced energy distribution that occurs in organisms with chronic pathologies. It also takes into account that the majority of ailments of this type have a low-grade inflammatory or autoimmune basis that can be modulated with nutritional, emotional and lifestyle changes.

Therefore, Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology seeks to identify the specific mechanisms of action that lead to the onset of the disease, taking into account the global situation of the individual : measurable physiological parameters, diet, physical activity, psycho-emotional context, personal and medical history, and social, economic and ecological environment.

Some of the ailments that are reported in the scientific literature as targets for KPNI are cancer, cardiovascular pathologies  , frailty syndrome  , type 2 diabetes  , depression  , schizophrenia , autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation.

The 5 Metamodels
Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology is based on 5 foundational pillars from which all its medical practice develops. These are:


 * 1) Health     depends on the individual ability to adapt to change. Personality is a key     factor for our physical, mental and social well-being.
 * 2) Health   not only has to do with the present, but is also a consequence of our     past. The patient's medical and personal records are therefore essential.     It is not only the photo that matters but the film which led to the photo.
 * 3) There are 7 components in health that help determine our state of well-being.     These are the physiological, emotional, cognitive, social, sexual,     ecological and transgenerational aspects of our lives.
 * 4) Low-grade     inflammation is associated with most, if not all, chronic non-communicable     diseases. Low-grade inflammation is produced by different pathways     activated by specific groups of risk factors, called associated molecular     patterns (AMP).
 * 5) Each     disease involves specific metabolic changes that cause a redistribution of     energy in the body. Physiological systems directly related to survival,     benefit from this redistribution, while other systems are harmed or disposed of.

Benefits of Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology
The multidisciplinary and translational approach of Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology implies a more global understanding of the different components that make up the health of individuals, from molecular and biochemical analysis measurable through biomarkers, to interpersonal and contextual analysis of past and present conditions that affect the individual psychologically and emotionally.

As a result, this clinical discipline allows the creation of a firmer health model as it describes the factors that come together in a specific person for the development of a specific disease.

Furthermore, the KPNI methodology positions the patient as an active and fundamental part not only of the diagnosis, but also of the treatment. Therefore, the patient is empowered and acquires a leading role when it comes to understanding and treating the ailment, as well as integrating the lifestyle changes that are beneficial to their health.

On the other hand, it proposes a new approach to the understanding of chronic diseases. It collects the inflammatory and autoimmune reactions of the body associated with these diseases and studies how nutritional and behavioural changes can reverse harmful physiological responses, and contribute to a higher quality of life.