Neurology Advisor (11/12, Khaja) reports a study found that “exposure to common infectious agents is associated with domain-specific cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults.” The researchers examined “whether serologic evidence of infection with 5 common pathogens (herpes simplex virus [HSV]-1, HSV-2, cytomegalovirus [CMV], Helicobacter pylori, and Chlamydia pneumoniae) was associated with cognitive performance and risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.” They found that “after adjusting for demographic, vascular, and psychosocial confounders, CMV and HSV-2 seropositivity were significantly associated with poorer executive function, while C pneumoniae seropositivity was linked to reduced language performance. In unadjusted models, CMV seropositivity was associated with increased risk for incident MCI and dementia. However, these associations were no longer significant after adjustment.” The study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. (SOURCE: APA Headlines)