Infectious agents as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Cognitive disorders are one of the relevant problems of modern clinical medicine. This is due to both their high frequency of occurrence and significant negative impact, which has a violation of higher cortical functions on the quality of life of patients due to the deterioration of their social communication, as well as reducing the effectiveness of professional and household functions. The main cause of cognitive disorders is Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, according to statistical studies, a significant increase in the incidence of the number of persons in the human population as a whole suffering from this pathology is predicted. At the heart of Alzheimer’s disease is a complex of pathobiochemical changes leading to synaptic dysfunction, accompanied by the development of atrophic changes in certain areas of the brain, against which a specific clinical picture is formed. The earliest and most important manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease is memory impairment for current events, which are subsequently joined by a number of other symptoms. The literature describes certain risk factors that contribute to the development of the disease, among which a certain place is occupied by infectious pathology. However, this aspect remains largely outside the traditional study of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. In the review the analysis of the results of modern studies confirm the possible involvement of infections in the development of dementia of Alzheimer’s type.

Keywords

• alzheimer’s disease, dementia, neurodegeneration, herpes virus, bacterial infection