The participants reacted to the sick faces in virtual reality with the brain and immunological activation similar to that caused by real infections
A study by the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, revealed that the simple act of observing someone with visible signs of illness – such as coughing, sneezing or folded aspect – can activate defense mechanisms in the body, even without direct physical contact.
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The research was published in the British magazine Neuroscience of nature. For the neuroscientist Andrea Serino, who coordinated the work, the results indicate a proactive response of the body, in which the brain identifies the signs of threat and active, alone, the defense system even before any contagion occurs.
The discovery strengthens the complex link between visual perception, brain and immunity, showing that the instinct of cars -creser can start with something simple like seeing someone sick.
How were the tests performed?
The study involved 248 healthy volunteers, divided into two groups. The first virtual reality glasses used and has been exposed to the approach of the avatars with different facial expressions: neural, neutral, frightened or with characteristics of the disease such as skin imperfections and cough.
Already the second group had no contact with the avatars, but received a vaccine against the flu, which represented a real situation of exposure to an infectious agent.
Participants underwent five different experiments. In one of them, seeing the avatar approaching, they should press a button every time they felt a slight touch on the face, which helped measure the sensory attention and the reaction of the body in the presence of the “sick” figure.
The scientists discovered that the brain reacted in advance when the sick avatar approached, activating the sensomotor areas and the so -called protruding network (region responsible for detecting relevant stimuli in the environment). In addition, an increase in the frequency and activation of innate lymphoid cells (ILC) has occurred, similar to the immune responses observed in real infections.
“We show that the potential contact with infectious avatars that approach the vicissituder space, in virtual reality, is foreseen by the sensomotor areas and activates the protrusion network […]. This proactive neural anticipation triggers the changes in the frequency and activation of innate lymphoid cells, reflecting the responses observed in real infections “, said the authors.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
