Research on the pathogenic mechanisms of periodontitis promoting cognitive dysfunction

LÜ Jian-jun; GONG Wei-jun

doi:10.19749/j.cn.cjgd.1672-2973.2025.01.005

Abstract：Periodontitis is an inflammatory oral disease that occurs in the gums and periodontal supporting tissues.Its clinical pathological manifestations include the formation of periodontal pockets,alveolar bone resorption,gradual tooth loosening and inflammation of the pocket walls.It is the main cause of tooth loss in adults and the prevalence of which increases with age,making it the sixth most common disease in humans.Cognitive dysfunction is more common in people over 65 years old.It is caused by various congenital or acquired factors and leads to impairments in the cognitive domain,including inattention,slowed thinking speed,memory decline,and reduced executive function,which seriously affects the daily living activities and quality of life of the elderly.Recent studies have found that periodontitis is closely related to cognitive dysfunction,with patients with periodontitis having three times the risk of developing dementia than those without periodontitis,and that cognitive impairment in patients with dementia becomes more pronounced as periodontitis worsens,with the main pathological mechanisms involved including increased neuroinflammation,imbalance of the oral-gut-brain axis,impairment of synaptic plasticity,and disruption of the blood-brain barrier.The present paper provides a review of the pathogenic mechanisms of periodontitis promoting cognitive dysfunction,aiming to provide some reference value for academic research.