TY - BOOK AU - Adeel, Maha AU - Supervisor : Dr. Aneeqa Noor TI - Association of Cognitive Impairment with the Presence of Fusobacterium nucleatum in Oral Microbiome of Pakistani Population U1 - 610 PY - 2024/// CY - Islamabad : PB - SMME- NUST; KW - MS Biomedical Sciences (BMS) N1 - World Health Organization (WHO) states that the global prevalence of dementia is estimated to be 55 million, making it a significant public health concern. A person’s daily life is greatly impacted by dementia, a severe form of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is the word used to characterize problems with learning, memory loss, concentration issues, and trouble making decisions. With declining changes in cognitive capacities as people age, cognitive impairment is another age-related degenerative disorder. Cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults can advance from subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Significantly, studies indicate that dental and cognitive health are correlated. Dysbiosis of the oral microbiome, which shows up as a shift toward excess growth of pathobiont within the typical microflora and an increase in local inflammation, has a substantial impact on the onset and progression of periodontitis. Numerous systemic disorders have been associated with Fusobacterium nucleatum, an infection that greatly grows in periodontitis. As far as cognitive impairment is concerned, this study is the first to assess the prevalence of F. nucleatum in the Pakistani population across various age groups. In Pakistan, no previous study of this kind has been conducted. A comprehensive survey was also carried out in this investigation to determine the prevalence of F. nucleatum that causes cognitive impairment. The bacterial load among the cognitively impaired group of participants with lower MMSE scores was higher as compared to the healthy group of participants. The results indicate that F. nucleatum may be involved in cognitive alterations. Consequently, the probable contribution of F. nucleatum provides information about a potential link between cognitive decline and its prevalence. The present study suggests that the occurrence of bleeding and redness in those with lower MMSE scores emphasizes the connection between dental health and cognitive function. Due to significant cognitive loss, poor oral hygiene was more common in participants with lower MMSE scores. This made it challenging for the cognitively impaired group of participants to maintain good oral hygiene. Thus, the prevalence of F. nucleatum in addition to other oral health issues can contribute towards a greater decline in MMSE scores in the aging population UR - http://10.250.8.41:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/42580 ER -