Oral condition mediates the relationship between dementia risk and fractional anisotropy

• Previous studies have shown that poor oral health is associated with dementia risk and poor brain health. • However, it remains unclear how poor oral health specifically leads to brain deterioration due to dementia risk. • A cross-sectional analysis of 137 healthy men and women showed that poor oral health mediated the relationship between dementia risk and fractional anisotropy including the anterior limb of internal capsule. As the aging population advances, interest in the oral condition and dementia of the elderly is increasing day by day. As a result, there is a tendency for research showing that deterioration of oral condition is related to dementia and brain structure. However, it remains unclear what kind of changes in brain structure are brought about by deterioration of oral condition. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between dementia risk, oral condition, and brain structure using data from 137 healthy men and women collected in Japan. As a result, it was shown that oral condition is significantly correlated with dementia risk and fractional anisotropy, including the anterior limb of internal capsule, and may mediate between the two.