Periodontitis as risk factor of cerebral small vessel disease and silent stroke

• Applicants: Privatdozentin Dr. Ghazal Aarabi; Professor Dr. Götz Thomalla
• Subject Area: Dentistry, Oral Surgery ; Clinical Neurology; Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 402687780

Background: Oral inflammation (periodontitis / gingivitis) are among the most frequent chronic inflammations of humans. Preliminary results show that periodontal disease is associated with ischemic stroke. Whether this also applies to cerebral microangiopathies and silent cerebral infarctions is currently unclear.Aims: This study aims to evaluate the primary hypothesis that the oral inflammatory load (periodontitis / gingivitis) is associated with the number and volume of cerebral white-matter lesions (WML) and silent brain infarctions.Methods: A cross-sectional study with 500 participants, nested in the Hamburg City Health Study, is being conducted. Participants who have completed the basic examination, including MRI and dental examination, are included. The following are recorded: Number, location and volume of WML and silent brain infarctions, brain volume, cortical thickness, and oral inflammatory load (periodontitis / gingivitis). Data analysis is performed using quatitative voxel- and tract-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), quantitative methods of MRI-based structural and functional connectome analysis, and lesion-inference analysis. Associations between gingivitis and cerebrovascular variables will be tested by means of regression analyzes based on odds ratios, p-values and 95% confidence intervals, including adjustments for age, gender and cardiovascular risk factors.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Katrin Borof; Privatdozent Dr. Bastian Cheng; Professor Dr. Udo Seedorf