As for white blood cells (leukocytes), their numbers dropped in the aftermath of the haunted house, “supporting the hypothesis that inflammation decreases in response to fear in a recreational environment,” the authors wrote. In short: “It seems that being chased by a man with a chainsaw may be beneficial to physical health,” Clasen jokingly told Ars.
These findings come with numerous caveats, especially the fact that numerous other factors could influence the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) assay used in the experiment. Although the team excluded volunteers who showed symptoms of a bacterial or viral infection, among other things, they did not have information about the participants' exercise regimes, alcohol consumption, smoking, diet or stress, all of which could also have influenced these three conditions. days of measurements, as do psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. There was a marginally higher incidence of low-grade inflammation in the study group compared to previous studies.
The authors also did not collect information about participants' race, ethnicity, or economic status. Also, it was not possible to include a control group in the experiment, creating a degree of uncertainty as to whether the measured inflammatory response was due solely to the fear-inducing events or to natural fluctuations over time .
Still, the authors suggest, “These findings suggest that anxiety in a recreational setting may have a positive impact on the immune system.” “Future research should investigate the role of the adrenergic system and confirm the persistence of these effects.”
DOI: Brain, behavior and immunity, 2024. 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.10.036 (About DOIs).
