Introduction
Autism and Psychoneuroimmunology is one of the least explored areas of research in autism. This article is the first of its kind that seeks to present the practical application of the discoveries in Psychoneuroimmunology that are already showing results in helping overcome many of the debilitating symptoms in autism.
At the outset let’s first understand what exactly does this scientific discipline represent? Psychoneuroimmunology is an emerging field of science that has revealed that there is direct and extensive communication between the brain in the skull and the immune system. It investigates the interactions between psychological processes/behavior and the immune system, mediated by the endocrine and the nervous system. What
…show more content…
Steven Maier, PhD, professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado. His research reveals that the immune system sends signals to the brain "that potently alter neural activity and thereby alter everything that flows from neural activity, mainly behavior, memory, thought and mood."
The important discovery here is that the information from the immune system is delivered to the brain through the vagus nerve.
This comes as no surprise, now that we know that there is a brain in the gut and that the same neurotransmitters that are present in the brain are present in the gut too. (To understand this in greater detail it is recommended to peruse my editorial titled ‘The Third Brain in Autism’ that is available at www.intenthealing.com/blog).
Energetic Immunity
All “Neurotypical” people too have the same mechanism operating in them. Then why is it that the person with autism is affected more and presents with debilitating symptoms involving the gut, cognition, mood, behavior, thinking process and more brought on by the same operational system present in all human beings? The answer lies in the term “Energetic