Brain training may boost vaccine response
Training the brain to boost positive expectations may help strengthen the immune system.
In a study of 85 volunteers, scientists used real-time neurofeedback to teach participants to activate a reward-related brain region called the ventral tegmental area (VTA). After four training sessions, participants received a hepatitis B vaccine and were monitored for four weeks, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Those who successfully maintained higher VTA activity produced more protective antibodies, suggesting that positive mental strategies linked to the brain’s reward system may enhance the body’s immune response.
Researchers say the findings may help explain biological pathways behind the placebo effect and could eventually inform new methods to support vaccination. However, the study only measured antibody levels and did not assess differences in clinical protection. Larger trials are needed to confirm the results and determine whether activating reward pathways can reliably boost immune health.
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