Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center Study (PMBC)

The Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center (PMBC) Study was a prospective viral challenge study conducted from 2000-2004 among healthy volunteers ages 21-55 (mean age 37.3; SD 8.8). This study included detailed daily interviews with participants over 14 consecutive days to assess social interactions (number of interactions, with whom they were interacting, etc.), mood, and health behaviors. PMBC also included in-depth measurement of various aspects of marital relationships, including relationship satisfaction, spousal social support, marital commitment, and spousal self-disclosure. In addition (as part of the broader Mind-Body Center Project) numerous other psychological and behavioral variables were assessed including personal attributes, social factors, socioeconomic status, and health practices. Biological assessments before viral challenge included epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and stimulated cytokine production. Post-challenge measures, in addition to standard virology, included local (nasal secretions) cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-α, and TNF-α).