| An infectious agent or predisposing factor has long | | | | been HSV-1, a neurotropic virus that is almost |
| been sought for many neurological disorders, including | | | | ubiquitous in the human population. HSV-1 also shows |
| the insidious and debilitating Alzheimer’s disease | | | | a predilection for infection of anatomical sites of the |
| (AD). Herpes simplex virus type 1 has been studied | | | | brain that are commonly damaged in AD. |
| extensively as a candidate for an aetiological agent | | | | First suggested by Ball in 1982, HSV-1 has since been |
| due to its ubiquitous and neurotropic nature, and the | | | | established as a prominent risk factor for AD. Other |
| similarity of the sites of human brain infection and AD | | | | pathogens, including herpes virus family members, |
| pathologies. | | | | have been investigated, but currently, HSV-1 is the |
| Collectively, current research indicates that HSV-1 | | | | only infectious agent thought to have a possible |
| infection of the brain, although not the cause of AD, | | | | association with AD development. |
| is a significant risk factor, potentially predisposing | | | | A considerable number of studies have been |
| individuals to increased inflammation, neuritic plaque | | | | completed over the past 20 years to assess |
| and neurofibrillary tangle formation and beta-amyloid | | | | whether or not the presence of HSV-1 in the aged |
| deposition. | | | | brain is associated with AD using increasingly more |
| Alois Alzheimer described the salient clinical features | | | | sensitive techniques. Although there are some |
| of AD in 1907 through a case report of progressive | | | | contradictory findings, by and large, the studies |
| dementia in a psychiatric patient in his care. His | | | | indicate that HSV-1 is found commonly in the brains |
| patient, Auguste D, probably suffered from many of | | | | of individuals who had AD. Greater variability and a |
| the classic symptoms of this disease, including | | | | lower frequency of HSV-1 detection was found in |
| memory loss, paranoid and altered behaviours, | | | | the earlier studies that employed less sensitive |
| reduced higher intellectual functions and loss of | | | | techniques. |
| linguistic ability. | | | | With the advent of more sensitive polymerase chain |
| Alzheimer’s report marked the beginning of | | | | reaction (PCR) techniques, the consistent detection |
| almost 100 years of clinical and research effort | | | | of HSV-1 has indicated a strong correlation between |
| designed to establish both an understanding of the | | | | HSV-1 in the brain and AD. The more recent |
| aetiology of this insidious neurological disorder and the | | | | PCR-based studies also indicated that HSV-1 is found |
| development of a cure. Substantial progress has been | | | | at fairly high frequency in normal aged human brain, |
| made but the search for the causative agents | | | | but is absent from most younger human brain |
| continues. | | | | samples examined. |
| As a consequence of the investigation into the | | | | An absence of central nervous system |
| aetiology of sporadic AD, many risk factors | | | | (CNS) infection by another member of the |
| associated with the development of AD have been | | | | herpes virus family (varicella zoster virus) was also |
| identified, including age, head injury accompanied by | | | | established, supporting the association of HSV-1 with |
| loss of consciousness, and a family history of AD, | | | | AD. HSV-1, on its own, is not the sole causative |
| which suggests the involvement of common | | | | agent because AD develops in a subset of those |
| environmental factors. | | | | individuals with evidence of CNS infection but it is an |
| Although they remain controversial, protective | | | | established risk factor for AD. |
| factors have been identified also and these include an | | | | OutbreakBalm-Rx is a potent anti-herpes agent vital |
| increased level of education, hormone replacement | | | | in the treatment of HSV. Topical application of this |
| therapy in women, and the use of anti-inflammatory | | | | antiviral treatment inhibits and kills the herpes virus, |
| drugs. Despite these advances in our understanding | | | | making it an important and versatile remedy for |
| of the disease, no single causative agent has been | | | | home use in the fight against herpes. It therefore |
| established for the more common, sporadic form of | | | | comes as no surprise that application of this product |
| AD. | | | | during prodrome, the tingling before an outbreak, can |
| Due to the common and neurological nature of | | | | prevent herpes blisters forming, aborting the pending |
| sporadic AD, neurotropic and ubiquitous candidate | | | | flare up altogether. |
| pathogens were investigated. A prime candidate has | | | | |