Infections Linked to Brain Drain and Cognitive Decline.

Common infections, including herpes simplex virus type 1 and chickenpox virus, can worsen cognitive performance and increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study found that elevated antibodies to either herpes simplex virus type 1 or cytomegalovirus were individually associated with worse performance on a global cognitive test. The researchers examined antibody levels to five common pathogens in 575 adults, ages 41 to 97, and compared participants’ blood test results to their performance on cognitive tests.