title: The effects of biofeedback-assisted relaxation on cell-mediated immunity, cortisol, and white blood cell count in healthy adult subjects.
abstract: The effect of biofeedback-assisted relaxation on cell-mediated immunity, cortisol, and white blood cell count was investigated in healthy adults under low-stress conditions. Fourteen subjects were trained with biofeedback-assisted relaxation for 4 weeks, while 17 subjects were controls. The group trained in relaxation techniques showed increased blastogenesis, decreased white blood cell count, due to decreased neutrophils, and no change in cortisol in comparison to the control group. Subjects with lower initial anxiety scores and forehead muscle tension levels showed larger increases in blastogenesis and larger decreases in neutrophils than subjects with higher initial anxiety and muscle tension levels.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Ohio, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Toledo 43699-0008.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McGrady
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conran
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dickey
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schumann-Brzezinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000276:immunology*; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone