Department of Biology
New Publication in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (BBI)
30 January 2025
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Brand-New Publication in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity Reveals How the Human Brain Responds to Cold Indicators and Proactively Modulates Upper Respiratory Immune Defense
January 2025
New year, new publication from our research group! The study, titled "Visual cues of respiratory contagion. Their impact on neuroimmune activation and mucosal immune responses in humans," authored by Judith Keller and Esther Diekhof, will appear in the March issue of the renowned journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (BBI).
This study explores the neural mechanisms through which humans protect themselves from infection risks during the cold season. It investigated the neural correlates of perceiving visual indicators of respiratory infections, such as sneezing or coughing. Additionally, the study measured the release of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva to assess the mucosal immune system’s initial response to these visual cues.
Findings revealed that perceiving sneezing and visibly ill individuals—compared to non-contagious individuals—triggered increased activation of the anterior insula and other regions of the neuroimmune axis. Furthermore, an elevated release of sIgA was observed, which was also linked to a heightened perception of infection risk.
In summary, these results outline a neuroimmunological mechanism for processing visual indicators of infection, such as sneezing or coughing, in one’s immediate environment—situations where subsequent pathogen exposure may be difficult or impossible to avoid.
For more details, please refer to the publication and the press release.
