Sensory Dysfunction, Microbial Infections, and Host Responses in Alzheimer's Disease.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-10-2024

Abstract

Sensory functions of organs of the head and neck allow humans to interact with the environment and establish social bonds. With aging, smell, taste, vision, and hearing decline. Evidence suggests that accelerated impairment in sensory abilities can reflect a shift from healthy to pathological aging, including the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurological disorders. While the drivers of early sensory alteration in AD are not elucidated, insults such as trauma and infections can affect sensory function. Herein, we review the involvement of the major head and neck sensory systems in AD, with emphasis on microbes exploiting sensory pathways to enter the brain (the "gateway" hypothesis) and the potential feedback loop by which sensory function may be impacted by central nervous system infection. We emphasize detection of sensory changes as first-line surveillance in senior adults to identify and remove potential insults, like microbial infections, that could precipitate brain pathology.

Publication Title

The Journal of Infectious Diseases

Volume

230

Issue

Supplement 2

First Page

S150

Last Page

S164

PubMed ID

39255393

Comments

This article was published in Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 230, Issue Supplement 2, pages S150-S164.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiae328.

Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.

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