Neocortical Immunomodulation in Humans

James Howard phis at
Thu Aug 29 13:46:25 EST 1996

Stavros Zanos <stavrosz at> wrote:

>Im interested in any references concerning the role of neocortical 
>activity (and its laterality) in the modulation of immune responses in 

I suggest the connection of the brain and the immune system rests in
the hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).  My work suggests both of
these systems, and all other systems of the body, rely on DHEA for
transcription and replication of their DNA.  I also think the brain is
the primary user of DHEA and, therefore, is the most sensitive to
levels of DHEA.  Since a lot of the immune system is found in the
blood, these cells are directly affected by levels of DHEA, because
the blood is the transport system of DHEA.

Very basically, since both the immune system and brain are sensitive
to the levels of DHEA, use of DHEA by the one will affect the other.
Hence, when the immune system is using a lot of DHEA, the brain is
deprived of its normal supply.  In the elderly, this is particularly
important since their levels of DHEA are very, very low.  (DHEA
naturally begins to decline around age twenty to 25 years.)  This is
why some infectious processes may bring on dementia in the elderly.

People with AIDS have very low levels of DHEA; this is why AIDS mimics
old age so closely.  In fact, it is my hypothesis that the symptoms of
AIDS represent, firstly, the initial DHEA response to the HIV, then
because AIDS patients cannot replenish their DHEA, the later parts of
AIDS represents the symptoms of loss of DHEA.  (Nor are physicians
seeing to it that people with AIDS replenish their DHEA.)

Rather than go into detail here, along with supporting citations, I
invite you to read my theories of AIDS and human evolution, in which I
connect DHEA with the brain, at on the
web.  What I think you may come away from if you read this material is
an understanding that all systems of the body are interconnected by
this requirement for DHEA.  The brain and the immune systems are
merely more sensitive to its loss than other tissues.  When other
systems show, to my mind, effects due to loss of DHEA or loss of DHEA
due to loss of proteins, with which DHEA identifies specific areas of
DNA, one can often find disturbances in brain function and immune
function.  One example is diabetes.

Please read my theory, before you pose questions.
James Howard

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