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Infectious disease and cognition in wild populations, 2022, Townsend et al

Discussion in 'Other health news and research' started by Kalliope, Jul 22, 2022.

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  1. Kalliope

    Kalliope Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Trends in Ecology & Evolution
    Infectious disease and cognition in wild populations

    Highlights

    As infectious diseases emerge and spread in wildlife populations, it is becoming increasingly urgent to understand the implications of infection-linked cognitive impairment for the fitness and populations of wild animals.

    A growing body of evidence in humans, animal models, and wildlife indicates that infectious disease can have negative consequences for cognitive performance, arising from parasite- and host-mediated mechanisms.

    Cognitive performance can be impaired by infection – sometimes permanently – across a breadth of cognitive abilities, from learning and memory to attention and problem-solving.

    Infection-linked impairment of cognitive performance could be particularly detrimental in wild animal populations if cognitive flexibility provides a behavioral buffer in changing environments.

    Infectious disease is linked to impaired cognition across a breadth of host taxa and cognitive abilities, potentially contributing to variation in cognitive performance within and among populations.

    Impaired cognitive performance can stem from direct damage by the parasite, the host immune response, or lost opportunities for learning.

    Moreover, cognitive impairment could be compounded by factors that simultaneously increase infection risk and impair cognition directly, such as stress and malnutrition.

    As highlighted in this review, however, answers to fundamental questions remain unresolved, including the frequency, duration, and fitness consequences of infection-linked cognitive impairment in wild animal populations, the cognitive abilities most likely to be affected, and the potential for adaptive evolution of cognition in response to accelerating emergence of infectious disease.
     
    Sean, Hutan, Starlight and 2 others like this.
  2. Kalliope

    Kalliope Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    6,237
    Location:
    Norway
    I spotted this in an article from today about the study written by Ingrid Spilde (who has written several good articles about ME and post viral disease)

    forskning.no: Dyr sliter også med å tenke klart etter smittsom sykdom
    google translation: Animals also struggle to think clearly after infectious disease

    quote:

    Infectious diseases are simply an underestimated factor that can explain part of the variation in thinking ability between individuals in nature, the researchers write in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution .

    ...

    There may be several reasons why the infections affect the brain, write Townsend and co.

    We are talking about both direct influence from viruses and other microorganisms. They can, for example, damage the nervous system or influence the host's behavior for their own benefit .

    But the causes can also lie in reactions from the immune system. Genetically determined disease behavior or inflammation created by the immune system can, for example, impair the ability to think.
     

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