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Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Infection: Associations with Inflammation and Cognitive Aging in Relation to Schizophrenia

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Neuroinflammation and Schizophrenia

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 44))

Abstract

Most persons experience cognitive decline as they grow older. The term “cognitive aging,” coined to describe milder varieties of cognitive decline, is likely to be due to multiple causes. Persistent or repeated infections of the central nervous system (whether subclinical or diagnosable) can cause damage to neurons directly or indirectly through inflammation resulting in incremental neuronal damage, thus eroding cognitive reserve. This possibility has not been considered widely. We evaluated the data linking persistent infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and cognitive aging by applying the Bradford Hill criteria. Despite inherent problems in establishing causal relations for chronic disorders, our analyses suggest plausible links. These studies are pertinent for patients with schizophrenia, who are particularly vulnerable due to disorder-related cognitive impairment. Further investigations are warranted to test a causal hypothesis, particularly prospective studies and intervention studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar, Abdelaziz Mansour & Maribeth A. Wesesky

  2. Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar

  3. Training Program for Psychiatric Genetics in India, Post-graduate Institute for Medical Education and Research, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi, India

    Triptish Bhatia

  4. Post-graduate Institute for Medical Education and Research, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India

    Smita Deshpande

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  1. Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar
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  2. Triptish Bhatia
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  3. Abdelaziz Mansour
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  4. Maribeth A. Wesesky
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  5. Smita Deshpande
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Correspondence to Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK

    Golam M. Khandaker

  2. Verhaltensneurobiologie, ETH Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland

    Urs Meyer

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK

    Peter B. Jones

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Nimgaonkar, V.L., Bhatia, T., Mansour, A., Wesesky, M.A., Deshpande, S. (2019). Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Infection: Associations with Inflammation and Cognitive Aging in Relation to Schizophrenia. In: Khandaker, G., Meyer, U., Jones, P. (eds) Neuroinflammation and Schizophrenia. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 44. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2018_86

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