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Review
. 2022 Nov;43(11):6215-6224.
doi: 10.1007/s10072-022-06280-9. Epub 2022 Jul 22.

Infectious diseases and cognition: do we have to worry?

Virgilio Hernandez-Ruiz  1   2 , Luc Letenneur  3 , Tamas Fülöp  4 , Catherine Helmer  3 , Claire Roubaud-Baudron  5   6 , José-Alberto Avila-Funes  3   7 , Hélène Amieva  3
Affiliations
Review

Infectious diseases and cognition: do we have to worry?

Virgilio Hernandez-Ruiz et al. Neurol Sci. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives: Age-related physiological changes, particularly immune system decline, may contribute to greater vulnerability to infectious diseases in older individuals. A growing body of evidence shows that both, acute, and chronic infections may be accompanied by cognitive disturbances as part of their manifestations. Given the importance of cognition in aging trajectories, the objective of this article was to review current knowledge on cognitive outcomes of infectious diseases in older adults, and to emphasize the importance of considering cognition as a domain of interest in its own rights in these diseases.

Methods: A MEDLINE/PubMed database search was conducted to identify articles reporting cognitive impairment associated with various severe acute infections and specific chronic infectious conditions such as human immune deficiency virus, the herpes virus family, hepatitis C virus, Lyme borreliosis, Helicobacter pylori, periodontitis, and emerging pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, as well as potentially preventive strategies like vaccination.

Results/ conclusions: Taken together, the studies examined in the present review emphasize that numerous acute and chronic infectious diseases share mechanisms that, when added to specific risk factors frequently found in older persons, contribute to considerably increase the risk of cognitive outcomes such as cognitive decline and dementia. This review may help to appreciate the role that infectious diseases play in cognitive trajectories and thus promote further investigation on the topic.

Keywords: Cognitive decline; Dementia; Infectious diseases; Older persons.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Constellation of factors contributing to the risk of infectious diseases in older adults
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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