Abstract # 3090 Prospective effects of latent infection on self-regulation and executive function in older adults

Abstract

Recent attention to the effects of latent infection on human brain and behavior has focused on the parasite Toxoplasma, which directly infects the brain, and herpesviruses, which infect diverse cells and also promote proinflammatory immunosenescence, which in turn could affect the brain. The present investigation tested prospective effects of baseline Toxoplasmaand cytomegalovirus (CMV) latent infection among 147 older adults (age 60–93 at baseline). Participants were administered a measure of self-regulation (BRIEF) and a battery of executive function tests semiannually up to 9 times. Multi-level models with administrations at Level 1 and people at Level 2 included baseline age, education, and administrations as covariates. CMV + status (79%) and CMV titers were associated with poorer self-regulation over the 4-year follow-up (status: t(637) = 2.58, p = .01; titers: t(284) = 2.75, p = .006). Log CMV titers also weakly predicted executive function (t(210) = 1.80, p = .07). Toxoplasma + status (23%) and log titers associated with poorer self-regulation, but only among women (status: t(137) = 2.07, p = .04; titers: t(139) = 2.00, p = .05). The proinflammatory immunosenescence associated with CMV may have implications for control over behavior and cognition with aging. Sex differences in the effects of direct infection of the brain by Toxoplasmasupport theories that posit non–hormonal mechanisms of latent infection such as interference with folate uptake.