To investigate the possible influence of stimulation of the immune system on cognitive tasks, healthy volunteers were vaccinated against hepatitis B and tested over a 6 month-period in a simple reaction times and the Stroop task. In general, the “Stroop effect” demonstrates that both the name and meaning of a word are automatically processed even when voluntary attention is trying hard not to process them. Unlike placebo group, vaccinated subjects showed a persistent lack of the classical Stroop effect. These findings may be explained by a constraint satisfaction model of the Stroop task, assuming a selective weakening of the connection matrix, and suggest that immune–cognitive effects may occur, besides the well known immune–cognitive influences like those elicited by emotional stress.
Long-term effects of vaccination on attentional performance.
GUIDO, Marcello;
2004-01-01
Abstract
To investigate the possible influence of stimulation of the immune system on cognitive tasks, healthy volunteers were vaccinated against hepatitis B and tested over a 6 month-period in a simple reaction times and the Stroop task. In general, the “Stroop effect” demonstrates that both the name and meaning of a word are automatically processed even when voluntary attention is trying hard not to process them. Unlike placebo group, vaccinated subjects showed a persistent lack of the classical Stroop effect. These findings may be explained by a constraint satisfaction model of the Stroop task, assuming a selective weakening of the connection matrix, and suggest that immune–cognitive effects may occur, besides the well known immune–cognitive influences like those elicited by emotional stress.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
