A person who experiences highly variable cognitive function is likely to be more infectious and experience more symptoms after exposure to a respiratory virus. An experiment conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan, Duke University School of Medicine, and the University of Virgini
has revealed that fluctuations in alertness and reaction time could indicate a heightened risk of viral illness.
The team studied a cohort of 18 healthy volunteers who took brain performance tests three times per day for three days and then were exposed to a cold virus known as human rhinovirus. The software provided 18 measures of cognitive function including reaction time, attention, and rapid switching between numbers and symbols, which were combined to derive an index of variability.
“This is an interesting observation in a relatively small study. I hope that there will be a chance to confirm these findings in a larger, more definitive study,” said Ronald Turner, professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of Virginia, who ran the experiment.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Scientists Discover World's Oldest Preserved Vertebrate BrainA second look at a coccocephalus wildi fossil first unearthed over 100 years could yield ancient insights into gaps of evolutionary history.
Read more »
Scientists Discover Ants Can Sniff Out Cancer in UrineOne day, ants might help save lives by acting as inexpensive bio-detectors.
Read more »
Social media really is making us more morally outragedPlatforms like Twitter may amplify engrained human behaviors, but a future filled with healthy discourse and productive conversations isn't impossible.
Read more »
Keele University study to investigate brain disorder treatmentScientists at Keele University in Staffordshire say their work could have a 'significant impact'.
Read more »
Scientists developed new ice form with similar density to liquid waterA team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and University College London discovered a new type of ice that resembles water more than any other.
Read more »