Certain Infections Cancel Out Benefits Of Good Genes And Good Diet In The Aging Brain

Dr. Katan’s group found that there was a link between history of infections and mental status that wasn’t changed by genetics (and, by extension, good diet). Elderly people who had a history of viral infection were more likely to achieve lower scores on the MMSE used to measure mental status. It didn’t make a difference how many times they had had viral infections, and the study did not have a way to find the relative important of different viral infections, but there was no doubt that exposure to herpes (either herpes-1, the more commonly “genital” form of the disease, or herpes-2, the viral infection more commonly associated with cold sores) or cytomegalovirus (CMV) went hand in hand with decreased mental function in old age.

How Does Viral Infection Impair Brain Function?

Dr. Katan surmised that chronic viral infection could cause chronic inflammation of blood vessels in the brain. She also believes it is possible that viruses attack brain tissue directly, but nothing in the study could confirm this.

Katan also noticed that there was an interaction between the severity of the effects of viral infection and physical activity. Women who were less physically active suffered greater mental impairment. It might be, she speculated, that even if you have a long history of viral infections, exercise might reduce the impact of those infections on your brain. Exercise may protect against the effects of infection on the brain.

What Does This Study Suggest for Preserving Brain Health?

There’s general agreement among neurological researchers that the findings of Dr. Katan and her coworkers may “revolutionize” the field. Among the very first studies that may get funding is a test of a herpes medication, Valacyclovir, in people who have Alzheimer’s disease. Of course, the way studies work, the people who will be included in the study first are those who have the least to lose. It may be many years before researchers test the possibility that treating herpes infections in people who do not yet have vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may prevent vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

That doesn’t mean you can’t ask your doctor for treatment if you know you have been exposed to the virus – and nearly 90 percent of the American population has been exposed to either the cold sores virus or genital herpes, or both.

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There have also been studies that have found an unexpected useful role of antibiotic treatment for traumatic brain injuries. For reasons that are not entirely understood, chronic use of the antibiotic minocycline (more often used to treat acne), seems to reduce the progression of mental impairment after traumatic brain injury in football players, soldiers, and boxers. At least a few doctors are using minocycline as a preventive treatment in people at special risk for stroke, or with a history of stroke, or a strong family history of Alzheimer’s.

Age-related cognitive decline also responds to moderation in diet and regular exercise. Your best bet, if you are approaching the age Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia are a personal concern, is to find a holistically oriented doctor and to work to keep your brain in shape. There are multiple strategies for brain health. Each may help. Using them together, you may be able to avoid age-related cognitive decline.