Periodontitis Linked to Brain Function Changes, Study Highlights Early Alzheimer's Prevention Potential

The research, published in the Journal of Periodontology, focused on functional connectivity (FC) within the brain, measuring how different regions communicate and work together. Scientists discovered that periodontitis was linked to intra- and internetwork FC alterations even in normal cognition (NC).

Recent studies suggest that periodontitis may serve as a potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, its impact on brain function in middle-aged and elderly individuals with normal cognition remains poorly understood. Investigating how periodontitis influences brain function during the NC stage could shed light on the early mechanisms underlying AD development and contribute to proactive dementia prevention strategies.

Against the above background, Xiaoshu Li, Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, and colleagues explored changes in brain network connectivity in middle-aged and elderly individuals with normal cognition and different levels of periodontitis to understand how the condition affects brain function.

For this purpose, the researchers collected periodontal data and resting-state functional MRI scans from 51 individuals with normal cognition. They analyzed the data using independent component analysis and correlation techniques.

The study led to the following findings:

• Differences in intranetwork functional connectivity (FC) were identified in the anterior default-mode network (aDMN), dorsal attention network, and dorsal sensorimotor network (dSMN).

• In the moderate-to-severe periodontitis group, internetwork FC showed:

• Increased connectivity between the auditory network and the ventral attention network (VAN).

• Increased connectivity between the aDMN and the salience network (SN).

• Increased connectivity between the SN and the VAN.

• Decreased connectivity between the posterior default-mode network and the right frontoparietal network.

• The moderate-to-severe periodontitis group also exhibited increased FC between the dSMN and the VAN compared to the nonperiodontitis (NP) group.

• Altered intra- and internetwork FC was significantly correlated with the periodontal clinical index.

The authors demonstrated that periodontitis is linked to changes in intra- and internetwork functional connectivity, even in individuals with normal cognition.

"Our findings suggest that periodontitis could be a potential risk factor for brain damage and offer valuable insights for developing early prevention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease," the researchers concluded. They further emphasized, "For individuals and healthcare professionals alike, it reinforces the significance of oral health as an integral component of overall well-being."

Reference:

Ye, W., Tao, Y., Wang, W., Yu, Y., & Li, X. Periodontitis associated with brain function impairment in middle-aged and elderly individuals with normal cognition. Journal of Periodontology. https://doi.org/10.1002/JPER.24-0264