How Might Herpes Affect Brain Health?
Dementia occurs when damage to brain cells interferes with their ability to communicate with each other. Different types of dementia affect specific regions of the brain. For instance, Alzheimer’s disease typically begins in the hippocampus, the brain’s center for learning and memory. While researchers are still investigating the exact mechanism, the oral form of herpes appears to be the primary concern regarding dementia risk.
“The main culprit seems to be HSV-1, which commonly infects the oral region,” researchers explain. “However, HSV-1 and HSV-2 can both infect either the oral or the genital region. This is important to have in mind when these studies are conducted.” This shows that how we touch and kiss might affect brain health in ways we never thought about before. A doctor warns us to be careful. “There could be important differences between those with or without herpes simplex virus status and those who developed dementia or not,” experts note. “It is difficult to control all confounders that have been traditionally associated with dementia.”