Language

English

Publication Date

9-10-2024

Journal

The Journal of Infectious Diseases

DOI

10.1093/infdis/jiae328

PMID

39255393

PMCID

PMC13032003

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

9-10-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

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.

Keywords

Humans, Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Sensation Disorders, Aging, sensory dysfunction, host-pathogen interaction, Alzheimer’s disease, microbes, parasites

Published Open-Access

yes

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