A new Journal of Neurochemistry review indicates a link between COVID-19 and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. In this thorough study, inflammation and aging are key factors in the molecular linkages between viral infections like COVID-19 and neurodegeneration.
Age is a known factor in Alzheimer's disease, and it is becoming more and more obvious that COVID-19 and Alzheimer's disease may interact when they co-occur, per the study. Corresponding author and University of California, Irvine researcher Dr. Thomas E. Lane expressed optimism for more data supporting the association between microbial infections and neurodegenerative illnesses.
The medical researcher disclosed that they are now doing studies with several strains of transgenic AD mice that have been infected with both murine coronaviruses and murine-adapted SARS-CoV-2 to see how they affect Alzheimer's neuropathology. "We're excited to see how coronavirus infection affects disease severity," as reported by Medical Express.
Caregiver Nadia Chebil (L) helps Alzheimer's patient Jean-Marie (R) at "Les Papillons de Marcelle" house, in Arles, southeastern France, on May 9, 2023.
Neurodegenerative illnesses like Alzheimer's are believed to be caused by aberrant protein folding and aggregation in the brain. However, experts have not yet identified the exact root of the condition, as per a Senior Housing News report.
COVID-19 Worsens Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease and COVID-19 both have inflammatory traits and risk factors in common. The condition has been linked to inflammation in both its early stages and its course, which suggests that COVID-19 may either increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease or worsen its current pathology. The possible association between these two ailments may have significant worldwide ramifications for public health.
Research done during the COVID-19 pandemic has continuously shown that there is a link between the virus and an increased risk of cognitive problems. After catching COVID-19, older people had a higher chance of developing Alzheimer's disease one year later. In elderly people with Alzheimer's, COVID-19 infections are more severe, and fatality rates are greater.
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A retrospective investigation of more than 6.2 million people 65 years of age and older revealed a 69 percent increased probability of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis within a year after the COVID-19 infection. It was particularly noticeable that women and those over 85 were at higher risk.
Further Studies Needed
Renowned Case Western Reserve University professor Dr. Pamela Davis, one of the study's co-authors, stressed that there has not been much research done on the factors impacting Alzheimer's disease. However, past infections, especially viral ones, and inflammation are expected to contribute. She underlined that long-term care resources may be strained if there is a persistent rise in Alzheimer's diagnoses after COVID-19.
Improving public health, especially for the elderly, involves conducting further studies into the complex ties between COVID-19 and Alzheimer's disease. Some studies linked brain problems to admittances resulting from flu viruses that lead to pneumonia. Moreover, some studies indicate that viral encephalitis could increase risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The director of Stony Brook Alzheimer's Center, Dr. Nikhil Palekar, recommends more investigation to understand better the complex relationship between viral infections and mental conditions like Alzheimer's disease. He believes that further studies must be done on the complex relationships that can propel "the development of targeted therapeutics in reducing or even preventing virus-mediated neurodegeneration," per The Epoch Times.
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