I am posting this study not so much because of the link between chronic low-grade inflammation and neurological conditions it demonstrates. That link is by now well-known even in mainstream medical circles. The main reason this study/article caught by eye is that the experiment mimicked the symptoms (including inflammation) of repeated viral infections by administering low doses of endotoxin (LPS) to animals. By using that experimental protocol, the study not only confirms that endotoxin exposure can cause neurological issues, but also indirectly admits that many/most of the symptoms of the cold/flu may be nothing more than symptoms of endotoxemia. Fever, chills, head/muscle/body/joint aches, trouble sleeping, fatigue, etc are all established symptoms of endotoxin exposure and they are also classic symptoms of a cold/flu infection. So, eating insoluble fiber and/or taking some charcoal on a semi-regular basis may do more for preventing future neurological (and other) problems than the "aggressive treatments" (usually antivirals and vaccines) the article calls for.
Intermittent systemic exposure to lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation disrupts hippocampal long-term potentiation and impairs cognition in aging male mice
Dementia: Frequent colds, flu could worsen cognitive decline
"...Studies in humans have shown that greater exposure to microbial infections during one’s lifetime is associated with a greater decline in cognitive function with aging. A new animal study assessed the impact of inflammation caused by repeated microbial infections on cognitive function by intermittently administering the inflammation-inducing bacterial toxin, lipopolysaccharide to mice. The study found that mild-to-moderate inflammation induced by repeat lipopolysaccharide administration resulted in deficits in memory and learning in early middle-aged mice. These findings in agings mice suggest that mild-to-moderate sickness caused due to microbial infections may need more aggressive treatment than the current standard of care, especially in populations vulnerable to cognitive impairment, such as elderly individuals."
Intermittent systemic exposure to lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation disrupts hippocampal long-term potentiation and impairs cognition in aging male mice
Dementia: Frequent colds, flu could worsen cognitive decline
"...Studies in humans have shown that greater exposure to microbial infections during one’s lifetime is associated with a greater decline in cognitive function with aging. A new animal study assessed the impact of inflammation caused by repeated microbial infections on cognitive function by intermittently administering the inflammation-inducing bacterial toxin, lipopolysaccharide to mice. The study found that mild-to-moderate inflammation induced by repeat lipopolysaccharide administration resulted in deficits in memory and learning in early middle-aged mice. These findings in agings mice suggest that mild-to-moderate sickness caused due to microbial infections may need more aggressive treatment than the current standard of care, especially in populations vulnerable to cognitive impairment, such as elderly individuals."
