VR: Sickly avatars activate the real human immune system
Even the sight of a sick-looking avatar in a virtual room alerts the human immune system. It therefore becomes active even before an infection occurs.
A sickly contemporary is a threat to the immune system. It then sends additional lymphocytes into the bloodstream as a preventative measure, says a study from Switzerland.
(Image: Daniel AJ Sokolov)
Infectious avatars in virtual environments (VR) activate the human immune system. This means that the immune system becomes active at the first sign of a possible infection and does not wait to see whether pathogens actually enter the body. This is the conclusion of an elaborate study funded by the University of Lausanne involving around 250 healthy participants.
Using a VR headset, the test subjects were exposed to types of people with a neutral facial expression, and then either those with an anxious face or with signs of infection, such as skin rashes or coughing. Reactions in behavior, brain activity and the immune system were recorded. Methods such as the counting of released immune cells in the blood, EEG and functional brain magnetic resonance (fMRI) were used.
In addition, the participants were lightly touched on the face mechanically or by air jets; when they felt this, they had to press a button as quickly as possible. A comparison group received the real flu vaccination instead of the VR experience.
Immune system reacts even before infection
According to the study results, the intrusion of a virtual person perceived as infectious into the personal sphere activates the salience network in the brain; this in turn triggers a cascade of neuroimmune reactions that ultimately lead to the release and activation of certain lymphocytes, so-called innate lymphoid cells. The salience network recognizes and filters unusual stimuli.
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The face touches were used to measure the reaction time, with the "encounters" taking place at different "distances". It became clear that the reaction times became shorter the closer the avatars came. This indicates a higher level of alertness. With the infectious-looking avatars, however, the reaction times were significantly shorter even at a greater distance, meaning that the test subjects' internal alert level was obviously higher.
The research team led by neuropsychologist Andrea Serino and immunologist Camilla Jandus published their results in Nature Neuroscience. Additional information on the study Neural anticipation of virtual infection triggers an immune response is also available on their website.
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