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June 3 (UPI) – Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can worsen with secondary infections, even outside the brain, study finds published Thursday in the journal Alzheimer & Dementia.
Scientists have found that inflammation of the brain from infection, even elsewhere in the body, can worsen brain health in people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, conducted at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in Dublin, inspected the neurons of mice whose brains were designed to mimic the effects of a degenerative brain disease.
Mice with secondary infection, even outside the brain, experienced inflammation of brain cells and accelerated disease progression.
Researchers say the findings could have broad implications – there are 10 million new cases of dementia diagnosed each year, affecting 5% to 8% of the general population over the age of 60 at some point, according to the WHO.
“[Inflammation] may contribute to negative outcomes that follow acute illness in older patients, including episodes of delirium and the accelerated cognitive trajectory that has been observed in patients who experience delirium before or during their dementia, ”co-author of the ‘Study Colm Cunningham, associate professor at Trinity’s School of Biochemistry and Immunology, said in a press release.
The findings may affect how doctors approach patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia who are battling infections, according to Cunningham.
Researchers said diseased brain cells are dysfunctional in part because they’re already inflamed – and infections worsen inflammation, leading to more confusion and abnormal behavior.
According to the study, the affected mice suffered an adverse reaction similar to “delirium.”
The medical community has long known the degenerative effect of the buildup of bad proteins on the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, but the impact of inflammation on brain health in patients with dementia holds back. more and more attention.
Previous research has also shown that inflammation plays a role in several forms of dementia, with UK researchers last year call the cycle of inflammation, the death of brain cells and the subsequent build-up of protein is a “vicious cycle”.
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