[From neuropeptides and cytokines to psychotherapy. Skin diseases between psychoneuroimmunology research and psychosomatic treatment]. / Von Neuropeptiden und Zytokinen zur Psychotherapie. Hauterkrankungen zwischen psychoneuroimmunologischer Forschung und psychosomatischer Therpie.

Most therapists recognize that emotional factors influence the course of neurodermitis (ND). Most studies concerning the influence of experimental, acute stressors brought only inconsistent results in ND. Most likely, the experimental stressors chosen thus far were only able to poorly simulate the reactions to real stressors in neurodermitis patients. More recent articles, however, were able to demonstrate changes in psychoimmunological parameters under experimental stress conditions in ND in comparison with a control group of persons with healthy skin. Retrospective studies, serial analyses over time and psychotherapeutic evaluation studies were able to demonstrate even more clearly that emotional factors influence the course of ND.