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The impact of inflammation on cognitive function in older adults: implications for healthcare practice and research
Sartori AC, Vance DE, Slater LZ, Crowe M.. The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, 2012-08-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Accumulating evidence suggests that levels of inflammation, an immune response, increase with age throughout the body and the brain. The effects of inflammation on the brain, both acute and chronic, have been associated with cognitive decline and risk of dementia in older adults. Factors believed to increase inflammation include certain health-related behaviors, such as smoking, poor diet, and inactivity as well as health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, most of which require medical intervention and monitoring. As such, nurses and healthcare professionals are likely to encounter patients who are at a high risk for future development of inflammation-related cognitive decline. A review of inflammatory processes and their relation to cognitive function in older adults is provided, along with factors that may increase or reduce inflammation. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Key findings
- Accumulating evidence suggests that levels of inflammation, an immune response, increase with age throughout the body and the brain.
- The effects of inflammation on the brain, both acute and chronic, have been associated with cognitive decline and risk of dementia in older adults.
Why it matters
This review reports that inflammation in the body and brain increases with age and has been linked to cognitive decline and dementia risk in older adults. It suggests that health behaviors such as smoking, poor diet, and inactivity, and conditions like diabetes and hypertension, may increase inflammation, but it does not test any treatment.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Journal of Neuroscience Nursing: journal h-index 69 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 305 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 19.1 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 100 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Michael G. Crowe: h-index 41 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Alabama at Birmingham: institution h-index 1,118 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22743812) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1097/jnn.0b013e3182527690
- PubMed: 22743812
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Sartori, A. C., Vance, D. E., Slater, L. Z., & Crowe, M. (2012). The impact of inflammation on cognitive function in older adults: implications for healthcare practice and research. The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. https://doi.org/10.1097/jnn.0b013e3182527690
Vancouver
Sartori AC, Vance DE, Slater LZ, Crowe M. The impact of inflammation on cognitive function in older adults: implications for healthcare practice and research. The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. 2012. doi:10.1097/jnn.0b013e3182527690. PMID: 22743812.
BibTeX
@article{sartori2012-22743812,
author = {Sartori, A. C. and Vance, D. E. and Slater, L. Z. and Crowe, M.},
title = {{The impact of inflammation on cognitive function in older adults: implications for healthcare practice and research}},
journal = {The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1097/jnn.0b013e3182527690},
pmid = {22743812},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/jnn.0b013e3182527690}
}
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