People with gum disease experience altered connections between different brain regions, compared to those with good dental health, a study by Chinese researchers has found.
These differences suggest that periodontitis may negatively affect brain function even in normal cognition.
Further, the results indicate that periodontitis might be a potential risk factor for brain damage and provides a theoretical clue and a new treatment target for the early prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
For the study—published in the Journal of Periodontology—researchers at Anhui Medical University in Hefei studied the oral health and brain activity of 51 people, including 11 with healthy gums, 14 with mild gum disease, and 26 with moderate-to-severe gum disease.
The people with moderate-to-severe gum disease displayed changes in connections between and within different brain regions.
Overall, gum disease was associated with impairment of network function within the brain.
“To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to compare brain function changes in elderly individuals with normal cognition with different severity levels of periodontitis from the perspective of brain networks,” the researchers wrote.
These changes might be caused by brain inflammation caused by gum infections. Bacteria from diseased gums can invade brain tissues, promoting an immune response.
Prior studies also have found higher levels of amyloid beta deposits—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s—in the brains of people with gum disease.
“These findings not only enrich our understanding of periodontitis but also contribute to the development of potential imaging biomarkers and may provide new approaches for the early prevention and treatment of AD [Alzheimer’s disease],” the researchers added.
