Bucks Romola S, Gidron Yori, Harris Petra, Teeling Jessica, Wesnes Keith A, Perry V Hugh
University of Southampton, UK.
Brain Behav Immun. 2008 Mar;22(3):399-407. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.09.005. Epub 2007 Oct 29.
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.
观察性研究和实验性诱导感染研究表明，上呼吸道感染（URTI）会影响情绪和认知。本研究采用前瞻性设计，通过比以往研究更广泛的测试，并设置匹配良好的对照参与者，来测试自然发生的上呼吸道感染对认知、情绪和情感加工的影响。80名参与者（42名年轻人，平均年龄20.3岁；38名年长者，平均年龄64.3岁）在基线时接受了神经心理学评估。一旦参与者出现上呼吸道感染症状，他/她以及一名健康的匹配参与者将再次接受测试。使用认知药物研究计算机化评估电池来评估注意力的广度和持续性、情景记忆和工作记忆的质量、记忆速度以及情绪。此外，通过将情绪消极的面孔与面孔以及面孔与标签进行匹配来测量情感加工。80名参与者中有42名进行了匹配（21名健康，21名患病）。健康参与者在记忆速度和面孔-标签反应时间方面有所改善。尽管没有发烧，但患病参与者的改善明显较小。年长者报告称，患病时比基线时警觉性降低，健康时比基线时压力减轻。所有患病参与者报告的满意度均低于基线时，且低于健康参与者。上呼吸道感染症状的严重程度与记忆速度和情绪的变化相关。即使没有发烧，传染病也会在认知加工速度上产生很大干扰，尤其是反映从记忆中检索信息的速度，而且这些影响在年长者中更为明显。上呼吸道感染也会影响情绪。未来的研究需要考察炎症分子以及涉及介导这些研究结果的脑区所起的作用。
