Researchers have found a link between frequent illness and accelerated aging of the brain, increasing the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.Research published in Brain, Behavior, Immunity, using aged male mice, found that repeated moderate inflammation from infections such as influenza and seasonal colds resulted in cognitive deficits and disruption of neurotransmission. This study may have important implications for the standard of care for managing infections in older adults and dementia-prone individuals, highlighting the importance of staying healthy to prevent infections. I am emphasizing.
A study from Tulane University found that being sick frequently can accelerate brain aging and increase the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. The findings highlight the importance of staying healthy to prevent infection, especially among older people and dementia-prone individuals.
Being sick frequently can affect how quickly your brain ages, increasing your risk of dementia and other forms of cognitive decline.
These are Tulane University findings, conducted in collaboration with West Virginia University and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and published in the journal. Brain, Behavior, ImmunityIn this study, we examined aged male mice and found that intermittent and repeated exposure to moderate inflammation, such as that caused by influenza or seasonal head colds, significantly affected cognitive impairment and interneuronal communication in these mice. was found to cause confusion.
“We were interested in asking whether differences in infection experience could explain, at least in part, the differences in dementia rates seen in the population,” said lead author and behavioral neuroscientist in the Tulane Division. One Dr. Elizabeth Engler Kiurazzi said: of neurosurgery. “The mice we were studying were adults approaching middle age and had intact function, but when exposed to intermittent inflammation, they had poor memory and decreased neuronal function. .”
Dr. Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzi, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine.Credit: Tulane University
This study is the first to model repeated and intermittent infections in mice to examine long-term effects on brain function and health.
Humans often experience infections and inflammation at significantly higher rates than laboratory mice. However, given that deficits were observed in mice after only five intermittent inflammatory treatments, cognitive changes in humans may be more robust.
“Our mice experienced only a few intermittent disease-like inflammations, so the fact that we didn’t observe any deficits was surprising,” said Engler-Chiurazzi. “The effects were subtle, but that’s why I think these results are meaningful. In humans, cognitive deficits from a comparable number of inflammatory experiences may not be noticeable in everyday life, but they may be less pronounced in aging.” It can have a cumulative effect that adversely affects the brain that has been exposed to it.”
The findings may have important implications for standard care regarding how to manage infectious diseases in the elderly and those at risk of dementia. And they are probably more relevant.[{” attribute=””>COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing research around the effects of long-COVID syndrome.
Going forward, Engler-Chiurazzi said more work needs to be done to understand why infections impact the brain and how to mitigate those effects. In addition, she hopes follow-up studies will investigate whether more vulnerable populations impacted by health disparities face a higher burden of neurological effects.
“The biggest takeaway from this research, in our opinion, is the importance of staying as healthy and infection-free as possible,” she said.
Reference: “Intermittent systemic exposure to lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation disrupts hippocampal long-term potentiation and impairs cognition in aging male mice” by E.B. Engler-Chiurazzi, A.E. Russell, J.M. Povroznik, K.O. McDonald, K.N. Porter, D.S. Wang, J. Hammock, B.K. Billig, C.C. Felton, A. Yilmaz, B.G. Schreurs, J.P. O’Callaghan, K.J. Zwezdaryk and J.W. Simpkins, 19 December 2022, Brain, Behavior and Immunity.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.12.013
