PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Infections damage our ability to form spatial memories

2014-01-24
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Meera Senthilingam
m.senthilingam@wellcome.ac.uk
44-020-761-17262
Wellcome Trust
Infections damage our ability to form spatial memories Increased inflammation following an infection impairs the brain's ability to form spatial memories – according to new research. The impairment results from a decrease in glucose metabolism in the brain's memory centre, disrupting the neural circuits involved in learning and memory.

Inflammation has long been linked to disorders of memory like Alzheimer's disease. Severe infections can also impair cognitive function in healthy elderly individuals. The new findings published in the journal Biological Psychiatry help explain why inflammation impairs memory and could spur the development of new drugs targeting the immune system to treat dementia.

In the first trial to image how inflammation impairs human memory, the team at Brighton and Sussex Medical School scanned 20 participants before and after either a benign salty water injection or typhoid vaccination, used to induce inflammation. Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure the effects of inflammation on the consumption of glucose in the brain and after each scan participants tested their spatial memory by performing a series of tasks in a virtual reality.

A reduction in glucose metabolism within the brain's memory centre, known as the Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL), was seen following inflammation. Participants also performed less well in spatial memory tasks, an effect that appeared to be directly mediated by the change in MTL metabolism.

"We have known for some time that severe infections can lead to long-term cognitive impairment in the elderly. Infections are also a common trigger for acute decline in function in patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease," explains Dr Neil Harrison, a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellow at BSMS who led the study. "This study suggests that catching a cold or the flu, which leads to inflammation in the brain, could impair our memory."

Infections are unlikely to cause long-term detrimental impact in the young and healthy but the findings are of great significance in the elderly. The team now plan to investigate the role of inflammation in dementia, including insight into how acute infections such as influenza influence the rate of progression and decline.

"Our findings suggest that the brain's memory circuits are particularly sensitive to inflammation and help clarify the association between inflammation and decline in dementia," says Dr Harrison. "If we can control levels of inflammation, we may be able to reduce the rate of decline in patients' cognition."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

A good tern deserves another

2014-01-24
The use of portable, wireless cameras and monitoring equipment for recording and transmitting footage of wildlife is perhaps familiar to anyone who watches nature programs on TV. However, common ...

Researchers developing new approach for imaging dense breasts for abnormalities

2014-01-24
(Lebanon, NH, 1/24/14) — Dartmouth engineers and radiologists are developing new approaches ...

Simple protein test could improve prediction of survival rates for patients with head and neck cance

2014-01-24
Scientists from The University of Manchester – part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre - used a simple protein test that could prove more ...

Do doctors spend too much time looking at computer screen?

2014-01-24
CHICAGO --- When physicians spend too much time looking at the computer screen in the exam room, nonverbal ...

Cause identified for children and adults with joint, skeletal and skin problems

2014-01-24
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 24-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Alison Barbuti alison.barbuti@manchester.ac.uk 44-016-127-58383 University of Manchester Cause identified for children and adults with joint, skeletal and skin problems Scientists from the University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have identified the cause of a rare condition called Leri's ...

Study expands the cancer genomics universe

2014-01-24
A landmark study across many cancer types reveals that the universe of cancer mutations is much bigger than ...

Omnibus appropriations bill signed into law

2014-01-24
The Academy of Radiology Research thanks Congress and the President for their support of the omnibus appropriations bill. ...

Psychologists document the age our earliest memories fade

2014-01-24
Although infants use their memories to learn new information, few adults can remember events in their lives that happened prior to ...

Integrating vegetation into sustainable transportation planning may benefit public health

2014-01-24
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Strategic placement of trees and plants near busy roadways may enhance air quality and positively impact ...

The rocky road to a better flu vaccine

2014-01-24
Currently approved flu vaccines are less effective in the elderly, yet an estimated 90% of influenza-related deaths occur in people over 65. A paper published on January 23rd in PLOS Pathogens reports on the challenges scientists ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

With no prior training, dogs can infer how similar types of toys work, even when they don’t look alike

Three deadliest risk factors of a common liver disease identified in new study

Dogs can extend word meanings to new objects based on function, not appearance

Palaeontology: South American amber deposit ‘abuzz’ with ancient insects

Oral microbes linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer

Soccer heading does most damage to brain area critical for cognition

US faces rising death toll from wildfire smoke, study finds

Scenario projections of COVID-19 burden in the US, 2024-2025

Disparities by race and ethnicity in percutaneous coronary intervention

Glioblastoma cells “unstick” from their neighbors to become more deadly

Oral bacterial and fungal microbiome and subsequent risk for pancreatic cancer

New light on toxicity of Bluefin tuna

Menopause drug reduces hot flashes by more than 70%, international clinical trial finds

FGF21 muscle hormone associated with slow ALS progression and extended survival

Hitting the right note: The healing power of music therapy in the cardiac ICU

Cardiovascular disease risk rises in Mexico, despite improved cholesterol control

Flexible optical touch sensor simultaneously pinpoints pressure strength and location

Achalasia diagnosis simplified to AI plus X-ray

PolyU scholars pioneer smart and sustainable personal cooling technologies to address global extreme heat

NIH grant aims for childhood vaccine against HIV

Menstrual cycle and long COVID: A relation confirmed

WMO report on global water resources: 2024 was characterized by both extreme drought and intense rainfall

New findings explain how a mutation in a cancer-related gen causes pulmonary fibrosis

Thermal trigger

SNU materials science and engineering team identifies reconstruction mechanism of copper alloy catalysts for CO₂ conversion

New book challenges misconceptions about evolution and our place in the tree of life

Decoding a decade of grouper grunts unlocks spawning secrets, shifts

Smart robots revolutionize structural health monitoring

Serum-derived hsa_circ_101555 as a diagnostic biomarker in non-hepatocellular carcinoma chronic liver disease

Korea University study identifies age 70 as cutoff for chemotherapy benefit in colorectal cancer

[Press-News.org] Infections damage our ability to form spatial memories