Carlos Solis
An international team of researchers led by immunologist Sara Trabanelli from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) conducted a series of experiments using virtual reality headsets. These experiments, which involved 248 healthy adults, revealed that our are remarkably sensitive to the symptoms of illness.
When participants in the experiments viewed a virtual avatar displaying clear signs of illness (such as rashes associated with fever) at various distances, their brains showed rapid activation, and their immune systems shifted into a heightened state of readiness.
Conversely, when participants saw an avatar without any signs of illness, their brains did not activate, and there was no immediate increase in immune markers in their blood.
Some of these markers are known as innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). The level of ILCs in the blood can surge dramatically during direct contact with a pathogen. However, it can also increase when a person sees or imagines a virtual infection, as reported by Science Alert.
“ILCs respond to infections not only when they are detected in the body but also when they are perceived as a potential threat,” the researchers noted in their report.
When the researchers employed machine learning for statistical analysis of their experimental results, they found that brain activity related to threat detection could largely explain the immune response.
The scientists observed that when the brain senses an impending threat, it reacts quickly by activating areas that then interact with the immune system (such as the hypothalamus). This gives the body time to mount a defense.
Interestingly, sick avatars positioned at the greatest distance elicited a stronger response from the brain’s than those that were closer.
Notably, some of these activated areas overlap with those that are stimulated after receiving a flu vaccine.
Thus, our brains are wired for resistance, even when it comes to the mere sight of a sick person rather than an actual threat of . The researchers suggested that this immune response may have evolved as a “fight or flight” reaction, although this theory requires further investigation.
“The results indicate that humans possess a complex neuroimmune response to the threat of infection, not just to physical contact,” the scientists concluded. So let’s give a nod to our brains for keeping our health in check.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
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