Published
Possible connectionGenital herpes could shrink the brain
People who carry the herpes simplex virus type 2 have a thinner cerebral cortex. Genital herpes could therefore lead to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
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Herpes viruses are widespread: More than 70 percent of the population carries the herpes simplex virus type 1, which can cause cold sores (herpes labialis). Around a fifth are infected with the herpes simplex virus type 2, which can lead to genital herpes.
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That’s what it’s about
20 percent of people carry the genital herpes virus (HSV-2).
US researchers examined 455 people affected.
On average, they had a thinner cerebral cortex than people who did not carry the genital herpes virus.
It is unclear whether the reduction in brain substance was caused by genital herpes.
What did the researchers study?
Scientists at Columbia University in New York have discovered a connection between genital herpes and reduced brain substance. They analyzed the MRI brain scans and blood test results of 455 adults with an average age of 70 who were participating in a long-term health monitoring study in Manhattan.
What did the researchers find out?
Those who tested positive for herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) – the sexually transmitted infection that causes genital herpes – tended to have a less thick cerebral cortex. This outermost layer of the brain, also known as the cortex, controls important functions such as memory, perception and language. This connection remained even after the team excluded factors such as differences in education and smoking.
“Thinning of the cerebral cortex is undesirable because it generally represents the onset of cognitive decline and increases the risk of Alzheimer’s,” said Bryce Vissel of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia, who was not involved in the study, on ” New Scientist».
What does the study mean?
Since this is a so-called correlation study, i.e. a statistical comparison, the results do not prove that an HSV-2 infection causes brain degeneration, but only that there is a connection. But they confirmed findings from other studies, says Vissel. An earlier analysis by the same Manhattan group found that that infected people performed worse in cognitive tests.
If future studies confirm that genital herpes attacks the brain substance, vaccinations against herpes viruses could perhaps one day reduce the risk of dementia.
The study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
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