Figure 1.

The proposed mechanisms underpinning the relationship between chronic inflammation and neurocognitive decline. Panel (A) shows the factors initiating or precipitating neuroinflammation and cognitive decline, including genetic susceptibility, vascular inflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, the emergence of toxic proteins, glymphatic dysfunctions, and chronic inflammation in the aging process. Panel (B) presents degenerative changes in the brain due to inflammation and elevated cytokines. Microglial activation with morphological and functional changes is a key event in neuroinflammation. Elevated cytokines affect neural activities and mediate environmental homeostasis. With the accelerated production and deposition of neuropathological proteins, neurons gradually lose their vitality due to the loss of synaptic plasticity, reduced neurogenesis, and demyelination. Finally, researchers have detected microstructural changes in white matter and brain atrophy. Older people generally show behavioral changes, including slower processing speed, memory loss, and declines in executive functions. We created this figure using BioRender.com, accessed on 19 July 2022.