Search Here

Having a cold can hinder your ability to navigate, according to a new study.

Researchers found that higher inflammation levels after an infection messes up the brain's ability to form spatial memories.

The new study reveals that the increased inflammation disrupts neural circuits involved in learning and memory by decreasing glucose metabolism in the brain's memory center.

Previous studies have linked inflammation to memory impairments and disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Many studies have also found that severe infections weaken cognitive function in healthy elderly individuals.

Researchers said the latest findings might offer insight into how inflammation impairs memory.

The latest study involved 20 participants who were injected with either a benign salty water injection or typhoid vaccination. The typhoid vaccination is meant to induce inflammation.

The participants underwent positron emission tomography (PET) before and after the injection. After each scan, participants underwent a series of tasks in virtual reality to test their spatial memory.

Researchers looked at the scans to compare the effects of inflammation on the consumption of glucose in the brain.

Researchers found that participants who got the typhoid vaccination had a reduction in glucose metabolism in their Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL), which is the brain's memory center. They also scored lower in spatial memory tasks. Researchers said this effect seems to be directly mediated by the change in MTL metabolism.

"We have known for some time that severe infections can lead to long-term cognitive impairment in the elderly. Infections are also a common trigger for acute decline in function in patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease," lead researcher Dr. Neil Harrison, a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellow at BSMS, said in a news release. "This study suggests that catching a cold or the flu, which leads to inflammation in the brain, could impair our memory."

Researchers said the next step is to research how inflammation affects brain disease, including how acute infections like influenza influence the rate of progression and decline of dementia.

"Our findings suggest that the brain's memory circuits are particularly sensitive to inflammation and help clarify the association between inflammation and decline in dementia," said Harrison. "If we can control levels of inflammation, we may be able to reduce the rate of decline in patients' cognition."

The findings are published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.