Cytomegalovirus infection and cognitive abilities in old age
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus infection has been implicated in cognitive impairment in studies using brief clinical assessments though findings are inconsistent. The association between cytomegalovirus infection, measured as serostatus or a semiquantitative assessment of antibody level, and cognitive abilities in a sample of older adults was examined. Cytomegalovirus status was assessed at a mean age of 70 years in 1061 participants of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Cognitive ability scores were available for general cognitive ability, processing speed, memory, and vocabulary. Background demographic and environmental factors included father's social class, years of education, childhood cognitive ability, overcrowding in childhood, and access to indoor toilet facilities. Cytomegalovirus seropositive individuals had lower cognitive ability at age 70: mean IQ was 99.1 (SD, 15.1) versus 102.4 (SD, 13.1) in seronegative individuals (t = 3.65; p < 0.001). The likelihood of contracting cytomegalovirus infection by age 70 was predicted by a number of demographic and environmental factors and, after accounting for these, cytomegalovirus infection (considered as serostatus) was not cognitively detrimental. Within cytomegalovirus seropositive individuals, however, higher cytomegalovirus antibody levels were associated with lower general cognitive ability.
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Cytomegalovirus infection has been directly linked with increased inflammatory activity, poor responses to vaccination, frailty, accelerated cognitive decline, and early mortality.
“These changes are largely driven by infection with Cytomegalovirus, which has been directly linked with increased inflammatory activity, poor responses to vaccination, frailty, accelerated cognitive decline, and early mortality.”
From Is immunosenescence influenced by our lifetime “dose” of exercise? (2016) · cites this paper as Gow et al. 2013
Many features of an ageing immune system appear to be driven by CMV, and infection with this virus alone has since been associated with frailty, cognitive impairment, poor responses to vaccination in young and elderly individuals, and ultimately earlier mortality.
“Indeed many features of an ageing immune system appear to be driven by CMV, and infection with this virus alone has since been associated with frailty (Haeseker et al. 2013), cognitive impairment (Gow et al. 2013), poor responses to vaccination in young and elderly individuals (Derhovanessian et al. 2012; Frasca et al. 2015; Moro-Garcia et al. 2012; Turner et al. 2014b; Wald et al. 2013), and”
From Is immunosenescence influenced by our lifetime “dose” of exercise? (2016) · cites this paper as Gow et al. 2013
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- Authors
- Gow, A. J., Firth, C. M., Harrison, R., Starr, J. M., Moss, P., & Deary, I. J.
- Affiliations
- Heriot-Watt University (GB)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Gow, Alan J.
- Venue
- Neurobiology of Aging
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-07
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1846-1852
- ISSN
- 0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2091467789
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 3.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Research Into Ageing programme
- Age UK PhD Studentship
- British Geriatrics Society
- Research Into Ageing project
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Keywords
- cytomegalovirus infection, cognitive impairment, older adults, CMV serostatus, general intelligence, processing speed, memory, vocabulary, Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, childhood social class, childhood education
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition Disorders, Cytomegalovirus Infections, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Prospective Studies, Socioeconomic Factors, Cohort Studies
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