Viral and inflammatory triggers of neurodegenerative diseases.

Here, we synthesize research behind the emerging hypothesis that inflammation--which can result, for example, from viral infections--can initiate and propagate chronic neuronal dysfunction, an event that precedes the clinical onset of many neurodegenerative diseases. Therapeutic approaches that target immunological pathways in the prodromal phase of diseases might decrease the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders and increase the therapeutic window for neuroprotection.