eCAM Advance Access published online on December 5, 2007
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nem149
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Review |
Humor and Laughter May Influence Health IV. Humor and Immune Function
1Western Kentucky University, School of Nursing and 2University of South Florida
This is the final article in a four part series reviewing the influence of humor and laughter on physiological and psychological well-being. This final article reviews the evidence for the effect of sense of humor, exposure to a humor stimulus and laughter on various immune system components, with a focus on the effects of laughter on natural killer cell cytotoxicity.
Keywords: Humor – Laughter – Immune Function – Psychoneuroimmunology
For reprints and all correspondence: Mary Payne Bennett, Western Kentucky University, School of Nursing, AC Room 113D, 1906 College Heights Blvd # 11036, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1036, USA. E-mail: mary.bennett{at}wku.edu
Received July 25, 2007; accepted July 26, 2007