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Does a neuropsychological index of hemispheric lateralization predict onset of upper respiratory tract infectious
Yori Gidron1, Peter Hall, Keith A Wesnes
1School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University, London, UK. yori.gidron@vub.ac.be
Objectives:
Past studies demonstrate relationships between hemispheric lateralization (HL) and immunity. However, the relevance of HL-immune relationships to health and illness has rarely been investigated. This study tested whether a neuropsychological index of right-hemispheric lateralization (right-HL) predicts development of upper respiratory tract infectious (URTI) symptoms.
Design:
We used a prospective, matched, case-control design.
Methods:
Initially, 80 URTI symptom free adults underwent neuropsychological assessment including right-HL (picture vs. word recognition), and were then followed-up during 10 weeks for development of URTI symptoms and objective signs of URTI. Participants reporting URTI symptoms (Ill; N=21) were matched on age, gender, and IQ with 21 participants remaining well.
Results:
At baseline, the right-HL index was significantly higher in participants who later became ill (9.9%) compared to well participants (3.9%, p<.05). Health behaviour also predicted URTI symptoms. In a logistic regression, right-HL significantly predicted self-reported URTI, independent of health behaviour and neuroticism.
Conclusions:
Greater right-HL predicted URTI symptom development during follow-up, independent of important confounders. These findings expand previous HL-immune relationships to a common immune-related illness.
