Looking for something specific?
Search our nearly 100 blog posts.































References
Barnes, M. A., Carson, M. J., & Nair, M. G. (2015). Non-traditional cytokines: How catecholamines and adipokines influence macrophages in immunity, metabolism and the central nervous system. Cytokine, 72(2), 210–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Bluthe, R. M., Pawlowski, M., Suarez, S., Parnet, P., Pittman, Q., Kelley, K. W., & Dantzer, R. (1994). Synergy Between Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha and Interleukin-1 in the Induction of Sickness Behavior in Mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 19(2), 197–207.
Bluthé, R. M., Beaudu, C., Kelley, K. W., & Dantzer, R. (1995). Differential effects of IL-1ra on sickness behavior and weight loss induced by IL-1 in rats. Brain Research, 677(1), 171–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-
Bluthe´, R.-M., Dantzer, R., & Kelley, K. W. (1992). Effects of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist on the behavioral effects of lipopolysaccharide in rat. Brain Research, 573(2), 318–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-
Capuron, L., Hauser, P., Hinze-Selch, D., Miller, A. H., & Neveu, P. J. (2002). Treatment of cytokine-induced depression. Brain Behavior and Immunity, 16(5), 575–580. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0889-
Carpenter, L. L., Shattuck, T. T., Tyrka, A. R., Geracioti, T. D., & Price, L. H. (2011). Effect of childhood physical abuse on cortisol stress response. Psychopharmacology, 214(1), 367–375. https://doi.org/10.1007/
Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., Doyle, W. J., Miller, G. E., Frank, E., Rabin, B. S., & Turner, R. B. (2012). Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(16), 5995–5999. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.
Dantzer, R., Bluthé, R. M., Gheusi, G., Cremona, S., Layé, S., Parnet, P., & Kelley, K. W. (1998). Molecular basis of sickness behavior. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 856, 132–138. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Dantzer, R., Bluthe, R. M., & Kelley, K. W. (1991). Androgen-dependent vasopressinergic neurotransmission attenuates interleukin-1-induced sickness behavior. Brain Research, 557(1–2), 115–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-
Dantzer, R., Wollman, E. E., & Yirmiya, R. (Eds.). (1999). Cytokines, Stess, and Depression. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers.
Davis, K. C., & Raizen, D. M. (2017). A mechanism for sickness sleep: lessons from invertebrates. Journal of Physiology, 595(16), 5415–5424. https://doi.org/10.1113/
Dong, J., Li, J., Cui, L., Wang, Y., Lin, J., Qu, Y., & Wang, H. (2018). Cortisol modulates inflammatory responses in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells via the NF-ΚB and MAPK pathways. BMC Veterinary Research, 14(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/
Dunn, A. J. (2000). Cytokine Activation of the HPA Axis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 917(1), 608–617. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.
Fischer, S., Strawbridge, R., Vives, A. H., & Cleare, A. J. (2017). Cortisol as a predictor of psychological therapy response in depressive disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 210(2), 105–109. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.
Flierl, M. A., Rittirsch, D., Huber-Lang, M., Sarma, J. V., & Ward, P. A. (2008). Catecholamines-crafty weapons in the inflammatory arsenal of immune/inflammatory cells or opening pandora’s box? Molecular Medicine (Cambridge, Mass.), 14(3–4), 195–204. https://doi.org/10.2119/2007-
Foley, P., & Kirschbaum, C. (2010). Human hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to acute psychosocial stress in laboratory settings. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 91–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Irwin, M. R., & Miller, A. H. (2007). Depressive disorders and immunity: 20 years of progress and discovery. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 21(4), 374–383.
Juster, R. P., McEwen, B. S., & Lupien, S. J. (2010). Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress and impact on health and cognition. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 2–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Maier, S. F., & Watkins, L. R. (1998). Cytokines for psychologists – Implications of bidirectional immune-to-brain communication for understanding behaviour, mood and cognition. Physiol. Rev., 105(1), 83–107.
Miller, A. H., Pariante, C. M., & Pearce, B. D. (1999). Effects of Cytokines on Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression And Function. Cytokines, Stress, and Depression, 461, 107–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-
Miller, A. H., & Raison, C. L. (2016). The role of inflammation in depression: from evolutionary imperative to modern treatment target. Nature Reviews Immunology, 16(1), 22–34. https://doi.org/10.1038/nri.
Miller, G. E., Chen, E., & Zhou, E. S. (2007). If it goes up, must it come down? Chronic stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-
Miller, G. E., Cohen, S., & Ritchey, A. K. (2002). Chronic psychological stress and the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines: A glucocorticoid-resistance model. Health Psychology, 21(6), 531–541.
Osburg, B., Peiser, C., Dömling, D., Schomburg, L., Ko, Y. T., Voigt, K., & Bickel, U. (2002). Effect of endotoxin on expression of TNF receptors and transport of TNF-alpha at the blood-brain barrier of the rat. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism, 283(5), E899–E908. https://doi.org/10.1152/
Pace, T. W. W., & Miller, A. H. (2009). Cytokines and glucocorticoid receptor signaling: Relevance to major depression. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1179, 86–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.
Pan, W., Stone, K. P., Hsuchou, H., Manda, V. K., Zhang, Y., & Kastin, A. J. (2011). Cytokine signaling modulates blood-brain barrier function. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 17(33), 3729–3740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Phelps, C., & Korneva, E. (Eds.). (2008). Cytokine Receptors in the Brain. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1567-
Powers, S. I., Laurent, H. K., Gunlicks-Stoessel, M., Balaban, S., & Bent, E. (2016). Depression and anxiety predict sex-specific cortisol responses to interpersonal stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 69, 172–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Ramer-Quinn, D. S., Baker, R. A., & Sanders, V. M. (1997). Activated T helper 1 and T helper 2 cells differentially express the beta-2-adrenergic receptor: a mechanism for selective modulation of T helper 1 cell cytokine production. Journal of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 159(10), 4857–4867. Retrieved from http://www.jimmunol.org/
Schoenborn, J. R., & Wilson, C. B. (2007). Regulation of Interferon-γ During Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses. Advances in Immunology, 96(07), 41–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-
Segerstrom, S. C., & Miller, G. E. (2004). Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System: A Meta- Analytic Study of 30 Years of Inquiry. Psychological Bulletin, 130(4), 601–630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Sehic, E., & Blatteis, C. M. (1996). Blockade of lipopolysaccharide-induced fever by subdiaphragmatic vagotomy in guinea pigs, 726, 160–166.
Shariq, A. S., Brietzke, E., Rosenblat, J. D., Barendra, V., Pan, Z., & McIntyre, R. S. (2018). Targeting cytokines in reduction of depressive symptoms: A comprehensive review. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 83(October 2017), 86–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Shonkoff, J. P., Garner, A. S., Siegel, B. S., Dobbins, M. I., Earls, M. F., Garner, A. S., … Wood, D. L. (2012). The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), e232–e246. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.
Skelly, D. T., Hennessy, E., Dansereau, M. A., & Cunningham, C. (2013). A Systematic Analysis of the Peripheral and CNS Effects of Systemic LPS, IL-1Β, TNF-α and IL-6 Challenges in C57BL/6 Mice. PLoS ONE, 8(7), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1371/
Sofroniew, M. V. (2015). Astrocyte barriers to neurotoxic inflammation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(5), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.1038/
Varatharaj, A., & Galea, I. (2016). The blood-brain barrier in systemic inflammation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 60, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.
Wichmann, S., Kirschbaum, C., Böhme, C., & Petrowski, K. (2017). Cortisol stress response in post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and major depressive disorder patients. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 83(January), 135–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Xaio, H., Banks, W. A., Niehoff, M. L., & Morley, J. E. (2001). Effect of LPS on the permeability of the blood-brain barrier to insulin. Brain Research, 896(1–2), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-
Zadka, Ł., Dzięgiel, P., Kulus, M., & Olajossy, M. (2017). Clinical Phenotype of Depression Affects Interleukin-6 Synthesis. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, 37(6), 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1089/jir.
Zhou, J., Yan, J., Liang, H., & Jiang, J. (2014). Epinephrine Enhances the Response of Macrophages under LPS Stimulation. BioMed Research International, 2014, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #9
The Float Tour makes a stop in Tulsa, OK to visit Dr. Justin Feinstein’s Float Clinic and Research Center at the Laureate Institute of Brain Research (LIBR).
Rather than following the usual path of incremental progress with its research, LIBR is tasked with pursuing alternative treatments that have a chance of “shooting the moon” and making potentially large leaps in medical progress. Float tanks are just the kind of technology they’re looking to explore.

Float Tank Centers for Sale
On our journey we found at least three owners who are actively looking to sell their float tank centers, and in all three cases the centers are doing well. Life often calls us in different directions than we expect.
In case you’re in the market for a pre-established business, without all the trials and tribulations of starting from scratch, here’s information on two centers that are, for the moment, available to swoop in on…

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #8
The desert is vast and the sun is harsh, but it doesn’t deter floating. We’re officially off the beaten path. From here, the float centers have become a bit more spread out. Everywhere we go, however, the people continue to be kind and eager to see us.
Everything in between Arizona and Texas is nestled in between some of the major manufacturers in the United States, providing some resources that other areas just don’t have. Areas that might find building out a center prohibitively expensive due to additional shipping costs, not to mention that real estate is cheaper than in major metropolitan areas, can save a bit of money when planning their buildout.

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #7
As we move further into the desert lands of America, we find that while the temperatures outside are downright unbearable, people seem to fall in love with the warm salty sensation that is float therapy.

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #6
San Diego, Palm Desert, and Landers California wrap up our visit of Float Tank Centers in California. We were fortunate to visit old friends, make some new ones, and even go to Float Camp!

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #5
As you may have read in Issue #4 of The Float Tour Blog, we began diving into the Los Angeles area float centers and visited the current largest float center around as well as the freshly opened second location of a long time float center owner.
There were so many to cover that we decided to split this into two blogs. In this issue, we round out our L.A. journey as we begin to head further south toward San Diego.

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #4
Los Angeles is a major hub for almost every industry in the world in one way or another. Building on the foundations of Hollywood and their harbor, it’s the 2nd largest city in the United States.
Given its population density, it’s large enough to support almost any industry, which for a burgeoning niche like float tanks is especially beneficial. Also, if you’ve ever experienced rush hour traffic on the I-405, you’ll know this city deserves to float.

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #3
Our travels brought the weary Minnie Winnie (our Winnebago, who we call the Minister Winchester for long), to beautiful San Francisco. The culture of floating is much more embedded in this city than many others.
There are nearly a dozen centers in the Bay Area, each one with its own personality and its own path to success. It certainly helps that Steph Curry uses a float center in San Francisco, even making a video endorsement of floating at the Reboot Float Spa which has generated a huge amount of public exposure for the local and even international industry.
In fact, let’s start there.

The Float Tour Blog – Issue #2
In this issue of The Float Tour Blog, we visit the first manufacturer stop on the tour. We then end this stretch of the journey by visiting the first manufacturers ever and float legends, Glenn and Lee Perry.

Floating While Pregnant
Upon gaining a doctor’s approval, there has been a growing trend of floating during pregnancy. Some take on floating to help reduce back pain while others just love to hear their baby’s heartbeat underwater. The following are some suggestions based on experience on how to comfortably float while pregnant.