AAIC 2021 | The role of inflammation in dementia

Kira Trares, MSc, of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, gives an overview of inflammation and dementia, and discusses the importance of this association. Systemic inflammation, which occurs outside of the central nervous system (CNS), increases neuroinflammation by releasing proinflammatory products which can cross the blood brain barrier. In response to this, microglia and astrocytes are activated, which is beneficial at first, but can become chronic and lead to neuronal damage and degeneration. This cascade can promote the progression of cognitive decline, which can lead to the onset of dementia. Exploring the association between inflammation and dementia could lead to the discovery of reliable, easily accessible diagnostic biomarkers, which would provide valuable information on neuronal degeneration. This interview took place during the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), 2021.