سامانه همایش های دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد نجف آباد

صفحه اصلی / اولین همایش بین المللی تحول خدمات سلامت: تلفیق مراقبت، درمان، بازتوانی و امیدبخشی

Latent Toxoplasmosis in the Elderly Chronic Neuroinflammation, Brain-Immune Dysregulation, and Accelerated Cognitive Decline

نویسندگان :

Anahita Amiri¹ Zahra Yazdani² Negar Behzadan³ Shahla Rostami Rad⁴

1- Nahafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University 2- Nahafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University 3- Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University 4- Nahafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University

کلمات کلیدی :

Toxoplasma gondii،latent infection،neuroinflammation،older adults،mental health،cognitive decline

چکیده :

Background: Latent T. gondii infection acts as a silent contributor to cognitive decline in the elderly, triggering chronic neuroinflammation that mimics Alzheimer’s-like neurodegeneration. (1) (2) The progression from latent T. gondii infection toward neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction is mapped, while the associated clinical and therapeutic significance is formally evaluated. (3) Method: We ran a search in PubMed and Web of Science, covering the years 2020 up to March 2025. Our focus was on original human studies that looked at T. gondii infection, cognitive outcomes, and inflammatory markers (cytokines or CRP) in adults aged 60 or older.Review articles, animal studies, and studies that did not separately report data for adults aged ≥60 years or lacked relevant cognitive or inflammatory outcomes were excluded. Of 237 records screened, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Finding: T. gondii infection in older adults was associated with poorer cognition, impaired executive functioning, and depressive manifestations.Increased CRP, synaptic pathology, and more severe clinical manifestations associated with CMV co-infection or certain parasite strains were detected. Conclusion: Neuroinflammation and synaptic dysfunction are responsible for cognitive decline, memory loss, and increased vulnerability to suicide in elderly patients infected with T. gondii, mediated by the parasite genotype and comorbidities. This risk cannot be ignored in light of the rapidly growing population ageing. The need is for longitudinal studies particularly in high prevalence areas like Middle East and Iran as priorities for early detection and targeted prevention in geriatric care. Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii, latent infection, neuroinflammation, older adults, mental health, cognitive decline