From infection to dysfunction: viral triggers and antiviral immune factors in Alzheimer’s disease pathology

Neurodegenerative diseases and neurocognitive disorders increasingly appear to share a common and underappreciated contributor: the viral-immune axis in the brain. This review presents current evidence linking neurotropic viruses and host antiviral immunity to the onset and progression of neurodegeneration and neurocognitive dysfunction. We explore how viral infections, particularly by Herpesviruses, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus, disrupt neura