Psychoneuroimmunology and AIDS.
Although PNI is a relatively new field, basic research has demonstrated the interconnectedness of immune and neurological systems, alerting nurses to the need to conduct multisystem assessments and provide holistic nursing care to persons with AIDS. Although the burden of research does not support the notion that the mind can cure AIDS, preliminary studies suggest that under certain circumstances the psychogenic and physiological conditions of the host alter rates of progression of HIV infection. Nursing research is needed to determine circumstances under which immunomodulating events alter disease progression in this population.