TY - JOUR
T1 - Selective effects of upper respiratory tract infection on cognition, mood and emotion processing
T2 - A prospective study
AU - Bucks, Romola S.
AU - Gidron, Yori
AU - Harris, Petra
AU - Teeling, Jessica
AU - Wesnes, Keith A.
AU - Perry, V. Hugh
N1 - Funding Information:
Romola Bucks is now at the School of Psychology, University of Western Australia. This study was funded by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Grant (BBS/B/15864). We are grateful to the members of the ‘Exploring the Mind’ volunteer panel, of the University of Southampton who participated in this study. With thanks to Alexandra Hogan and Anke Karl for their helpful comments on an early draft of this paper.
PY - 2008/3/1
Y1 - 2008/3/1
N2 - Observational and experimentally induced infection studies show that upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) affect mood and cognition. This study tested the effects of naturally occurring URTI on cognition, mood and emotional processing, using a prospective design, with a broader array of tests than previous research, and with well matched control participants. Eighty participants (42 younger, M age 20.3 years; 38 older, M age 64.3 years) underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline. Once a participant had URTI symptoms, s/he and a healthy, matched participant were retested. The Cognitive Drug Research computerised assessment battery was used to assess Power and Continuity of Attention, Quality of Episodic and Working Memory, Speed of Memory, and mood. Additionally, emotional processing was measured on matching of emotionally-negative faces with faces and faces with labels. Forty-two of 80 participants were matched (21 well, 21 ill). Well participants improved in Speed of Memory and face-label reaction time. Despite a lack of fever, ill participants demonstrated significantly smaller improvements. Older participants reported feeling less alert if ill, and less stressed if well, than at baseline. All ill participants reported less contentment than at baseline than well participants. Severity of URTI symptoms correlated with changes in Speed of Memory and mood. Even without fever, infectious disease produces large disturbances in speed of cognitive processing, particularly that reflecting retrieval from memory, and these effects are more marked in older participants. URTIs also affect mood. Future studies need to examine the role of inflammatory molecules and the brain regions implicated in mediating these findings.
AB - Observational and experimentally induced infection studies show that upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) affect mood and cognition. This study tested the effects of naturally occurring URTI on cognition, mood and emotional processing, using a prospective design, with a broader array of tests than previous research, and with well matched control participants. Eighty participants (42 younger, M age 20.3 years; 38 older, M age 64.3 years) underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline. Once a participant had URTI symptoms, s/he and a healthy, matched participant were retested. The Cognitive Drug Research computerised assessment battery was used to assess Power and Continuity of Attention, Quality of Episodic and Working Memory, Speed of Memory, and mood. Additionally, emotional processing was measured on matching of emotionally-negative faces with faces and faces with labels. Forty-two of 80 participants were matched (21 well, 21 ill). Well participants improved in Speed of Memory and face-label reaction time. Despite a lack of fever, ill participants demonstrated significantly smaller improvements. Older participants reported feeling less alert if ill, and less stressed if well, than at baseline. All ill participants reported less contentment than at baseline than well participants. Severity of URTI symptoms correlated with changes in Speed of Memory and mood. Even without fever, infectious disease produces large disturbances in speed of cognitive processing, particularly that reflecting retrieval from memory, and these effects are more marked in older participants. URTIs also affect mood. Future studies need to examine the role of inflammatory molecules and the brain regions implicated in mediating these findings.
KW - Ageing
KW - Cognition
KW - Emotion processing
KW - Mood
KW - Upper respiratory tract infection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38649093027&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.09.005
DO - 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.09.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 17967526
AN - SCOPUS:38649093027
SN - 0889-1591
VL - 22
SP - 399
EP - 407
JO - Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
JF - Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
IS - 3
ER -