Cognitive impairment and infectious burden in the elderly
Abstract
Infectious agents have been suspected as contributing factors to dementia, especially in Alzheimer disease. We intended to test whether viral or bacterial seropositivity is associated with cognitive impairment among home-dwelling elderly. Viral burden (seropositivity for herpes simplex type 1 (HSVI), type 2 (HSV2), or cytomegalovirus (CMV), and bacterial burden (Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae) were tested among 383 home-dwelling individuals with vascular disease (mainly coronary heart disease) in the ongoing DEBATE study (mean age 80 years). Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and its changes were used to define cognitive impairment. At baseline, 0-1, 2, and 3 positive titers toward viruses were found in 48 (12.5 %), 229 (59.8 %), and 106 (27.7 %) individuals,respectively. MMSE points decreased with increasing viral burden (p = 0.03). At baseline,58 individuals (15.1 %) had cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24 points) which after adjustments was significantly associated with seropositivity for 3 viruses (risk ratio 2.5, 95%confidence interval 1.3 to 4.7). MMSE score decreased in 150 cases (43%) during 12-month follow-up. After adjustment for MMSE score at baseline and with 0-1 seropositivities as reference (1.0), the risk ratios were 1.8 (95 % confidence interval 0.9 to 3.6) and 2.3 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 5.0) for 2 and 3 seropositivities, respectively. No significant associations were observed between bacterial burden and cognition. Viral burden of herpe…
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Increased CMV titers were related to lower mini-mental state examination scores and increased MCI risk.
“Specifically, increased CMV titers were related to lower mini-mental state examination scores and increased MCI risk [54].”
From What would it take to prove that a chronic infection is a causal agent in Alzheimer’s disease? (2025) · cites this paper as [54]
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What would it take to prove that a chronic infection is a causal agent in Alzheimer’s disease?
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- Authors
- STRANDBERG, T. E., PITKALA, K. H., LINNAVUORI, K., & TILVIS, R. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Corresponding author
- STRANDBERG, T.E.
- ORCID
- STRANDBERG, T.E.
- Venue
- Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-01
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 419-423
- ISSN
- 0167-4943 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2063938126
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Keywords
- cognitive impairment, infectious burden, herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, seropositivity, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, community-dwelling older adults, vascular disease, coronary artery disease, cognitive decline
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Bacterial Infections, Cognition Disorders, Herpesviridae Infections, Humans, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Neuropsychological Tests, Severity of Illness Index, Virus Diseases, Comorbidity, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Cost of Illness
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