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Mad dogs, vampires, and zombie ants: a multidisciplinary approach to teaching neuroscience, behavior, and

David J Esteban1, Kevin S Holloway2

  • 1Biology Department;

Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education : JUNE : a Publication of FUN, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience
|April 4, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Infectious agents can alter host behavior to enhance disease transmission. This multidisciplinary course explores how pathogens manipulate host neurobiology and behavior for their own benefit.

Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Infectious Disease Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Infectious agents, including viruses, parasites, and bacteria, rely on host organisms for their life cycles.
  • These agents can manipulate host processes for replication and transmission.
  • Beyond causing illness, infections can significantly alter host behavior, often to facilitate disease spread.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how infectious organisms influence host neurobiology and behavior.
  • To understand pathogen-mediated behavior modification that benefits the infectious agent.
  • To introduce students to primary literature in a multidisciplinary field and explore cultural influences on disease transmission.

Main Methods:

  • Exploration of neurological and behavioral effects of infectious organisms.
  • Analysis of pathogen strategies for host behavior manipulation.
  • Integration of knowledge from neurobiology, animal behavior, microbiology, and epidemiology.

Main Results:

  • Pathogen-mediated behavioral changes can enhance transmission of infectious diseases.
  • Understanding these mechanisms requires a multidisciplinary approach.
  • Cultural and historical factors can influence the impact of infection-induced behavior modification.

Conclusions:

  • Infectious agents actively modify host behavior to optimize their own transmission.
  • This phenomenon is a complex interplay of biology, behavior, and environment.
  • Further research integrating diverse fields is crucial for understanding and managing infectious diseases.
Keywords:
arousalbacteriabehavior manipulation hypothesisconditioninggut-brain axismodal action patternsneuronsparasitevirus

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