Project Details
Projekt
Association between periodontitis, brain structure integrity and cognitive functions: Insights from multimodal phenotyping (PAROMIND)
Subject Area
Dentistry, Oral Surgery
Term
since 2023
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 514762487
In PAROMIND, we aim for an improved understanding of the relationship between periodontitis, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of dementia, and cognitive functions. Dementia is one of the leading causes for disability and impaired health during late adulthood. Brain MRI has the potential to provide predictive imaging markers, such as hippocampal atrophy and measures of cerebral white matter disintegration, which are associated with cognitive impairment. Since treatment options for dementia remains limited, there is an urgent need to identify modifiable risk factors. Current scientific research indicates a potential dependency between periodontitis and dementia based on epidemiological and postmortem data. Recently, the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the "keystone pathogen" in periodontitis, was detected in brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the soft and hard tissue surrounding the tooth and is caused by the dysbiosis of the subgingival biofilm. We hypothesize that (1) periodontitis is associated with decreased cognitive performance and structural brain alterations amd (2) the composition of the oral microbiome is associated with atrophy of the hippocampus linked to cognitive deficits. To test these hypotheses, PAROMIND will include 2500 participants of the HCHS (Hamburg City Health Study), a population-based cohort study conducted in Hamburg. We will characterize the oral microbiome via 16S-rDNA sequencing, quantify imaging markers of neurodegeneration such as hippocampal atrophy and cerebral white matter integrity, and combine these data with results from tests of cognitive functions. Our results will be of high value in identifying chronic oral inflammation as a potentially modifiable risk factor and provide benefit in the management of dementia.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
Co-Investigators
Professor Dr. Götz Thomalla; Dr. Carolin Walther
