Neuroinflammation: Connecting the Dots

Neuroinflammation has been studied for decades. In fact, neuroinflammation was discovered some 30 years ago and first described as systemic infection or CNS injury.  It is now described by the listing the proinflammatory mediators within the central nervous system.

The reason neuroinflammation has recently emerged as a dominant theme is due to its association with neurodegenerative states such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. These conditions are often associated with “getting older” because it takes a long time for the inflamed brain to turn into a diseased brain.

It has also been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Gulf War Illness (GWI), and what is referred to as “chemobrain,” cognitive impairment following chemotherapy. An estimated 25% of patients who have undergone chemotherapy experience cognitive deficits that may persist for many years. Symptoms of brain inflammation include lethargy, attention deficits, and sleep disruption. Typically, the neuroinflammation resolves over time, for example, after an infection resolves or after the chemo stops; however, when inflammation continues indefinitely, the result is neurodegeneration.   

I first talked about the ability of the spike protein to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in my 40 Mechanisms of Injury Course, released in July 2021. Deep inside this document, published in December 2020, right after the Pfizer jab was released, researchers found that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein significantly affected the integrity of the BBB, leading to a pro-inflammatory response and BBB dysfunction. By 2022, more and more publications were exposing the effects the spike protein has on the brain, inducing cognitive deficits (memory loss) and anxiety. Attention began to be focused on the effect spike proteins have on the part of the brain known as the hippocampus.

In one study, investigators injected the S1 spike proteins directly into the dorsal hippocampus of the brain of mice, the region critical for cognition, emotion, and memory, and then subjected the mice to a series of behavioral tests. The results showed thinking deficits and anxiety did indeed appear in the mice.  They also confirmed by tissue staining that the spike proteins induced cell death, leading to a reduction in the size of the hippocampus by 20-35%.

What is the hippocampus?

The hippocampus has been extensively studied. It is a complex structure embedded deep into the temporal lobe of the brain, playing a major role in learning and memory. It can become damaged by a variety of insults leading to neurological and psychiatric disorders. It is the earliest and most severely affected structure in Alzheimer’s disease. The hippocampus also plays an important role in balance, spatial navigation (movement in space), and regulation of hormonal functions controlled by the hypothalamus.