Oral health in patients with memory disorders

Principal Investigator

• Kåre Buhlin, Associate Professor, Division of Oral Diseases

Project: Oral health in patients with memory disorders

The main objective is to investigate if periodontal disease and memory-related diseases, particularly Alzheimer´s disease (AD), are associated. If a causal relation is found between dental infections and memory-related diseases it could have important clinical implications in the prevention of AD. The overall objective is to clarify whether oral inflammatory diseases can be related to the brain's memory capacity.

Methods: Three groups of patients with distinctive dementia diagnoses and matched controls will undergo a dental examination, including saliva and bacterial samples and radiological examination. Patients and controls will fill out a questionnaire that highlights their attitude to dental care, dental health, public health and socio-economic parameters. The controls will undergo Mini Mental State Examination. Analysis of plasma, saliva and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) will be performed and the results will be correlated with dental status.

If a causal relationship between periodontal disease and memory-related diseases can be identified, it will open new possibilities for preventing disease in this vulnerable and frail patient group.

Project: Clinical, microbiological and immunological efficacy of antiseptics in the management of chronic periodontitis

To investigate polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate antimicrobial activity and evaluate it in comparison to chlorhexidine and water. Evaluate it as a chair side rinse

Members

• Jacob Holmer
• Mehrad Mohammadi, Ph.D. student
• Dan Sebring, Ph.D. student
• Anton Vitt

Collaborations

The Geriatric Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden,  Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland,  Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden,  Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus

Financing

The Swedish Dental Society, CSTP grant, KI, SOF grant, Stockholm County Council, KIRT grant, KI funds.