” We had an interest in asking whether distinctions in infection experience could account, at least in part, for the distinctions in rates of dementia we see in the population,” said lead author Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzi, PhD, a behavioral neuroscientist in the Tulane Department of Neurosurgery. “The mice we were studying were adults approaching midlife that had intact faculties, and yet, when exposed to periodic swelling, they remembered less and their nerve cells operated more poorly.”
Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Tulane University School of Medicine. Credit: Tulane University
This research study is the first to model duplicated, intermittent infections in mice and analyze the long-term repercussions for brain function and health.
Human beings often experience infections and swelling at substantially greater rates than lab mice. However considered that impairments were observed in mice after only five periodic inflammatory treatments, the cognitive modification in humans may be more robust.
” Our mice just experienced periodic sickness-like swelling a handful of times, so the truth that we observed impairments at all was surprising,” Engler-Chiurazzi said. “The impacts were subtle, but thats why I discover these outcomes meaningful: In a human, cognitive problems from a similar number of inflammatory experiences may not be visible in their day-to-day lives however might have cumulative impacts that adversely impact the aging brain.”
The findings might have crucial ramifications for requirement of care around how infections are managed amongst the senior and those at risk for dementia. And they are possibly more pertinent because of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuous research around the effects of long-COVID syndrome.
Going forward, Engler-Chiurazzi said more work needs to be done to comprehend why infections impact the brain and how to reduce those results. In addition, she hopes follow-up research studies will examine whether more vulnerable populations affected by health disparities deal with a greater concern of neurological impacts.
” The biggest takeaway from this research study, in our viewpoint, is the value of remaining as healthy and infection-free as possible,” she stated.
Reference: “Intermittent systemic exposure to lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation interferes with hippocampal long-lasting potentiation and hinders 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. OCallaghan, K.J. Zwezdaryk and J.W. Simpkins, 19 December 2022, Immunity.DOI, behavior and brain: 10.1016/ j.bbi.2022.12.013.
Researchers discovered a link between frequent health problem and accelerated brain aging, increasing the risk of dementia or cognitive decrease. The research study, published in Behavior, brain and immunity, used aging male mice and discovered that duplicated, moderate inflammation from infections like the flu or seasonal colds resulted in impaired cognition and interfered with neuronal interaction. The research study might have substantial implications for basic care in handling infections among the dementia-prone and elderly people and stresses the value of maintaining health to avoid infections.
A research study by Tulane University reveals that regular health problem may speed up brain aging and increase the danger of dementia or cognitive decrease. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining health to prevent infections, especially among the dementia-prone and senior individuals.
Getting sick often may impact how quickly the brain ages and increase the risk of dementia or other forms of cognitive decline.
These are the findings of a Tulane University study conducted in partnership with West Virginia University and the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health and released in the journal Brain, resistance and behavior. The study examined aging male mice and found that repeated, intermittent experiences with moderate inflammation, such as that triggered by the flu or a seasonal head cold, caused impaired cognition and interrupted interaction in between neurons in those mice.