Behavioral and neural correlates to multisensory detection of sick humans

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1617357114
• Publication Date: 2017-05-23T00:40:47Z
• Authors: Christina Regenbogen; John Axelsson; Julie Lasselin; Danja K. Porada; Tina Sundelin; Moa G. Peter; Mats Lekander; Johan N. Lundström; Mats J. Olsson
• Keywords: Adult; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Brain Mapping; Cross-Over Studies; Adolescent; Medizin; Facies; Olfactory Perception; Communicable Diseases; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; 3. Good health; Young Adult; Double-Blind Method; Communicable Disease Control; Odorants; Humans; Female; Cues; Social Behavior; Photic Stimulation; Illness Behavior

Significance In the perpetual race between evolving organisms and pathogens, the human immune system has evolved to reduce the harm of infections. As part of such a system, avoidance of contagious individuals would increase biological fitness. The present study shows that we can detect both facial and olfactory cues of sickness in others just hours after experimental activation of their immune system. The study further demonstrates that multisensory integration of these olfactory and visual sickness cues is a crucial mechanism for how we detect and socially evaluate sick individuals. Thus, by motivating the avoidance of sick conspecifics, olfactory–visual cues, both in isolation and integrated, may be important parts of circuits handling imminent threats of contagion.