Neonatal Meningitis Mechanisms and Implications in Adult Life

Abstract

Neonatal meningitis (NM) is a serious infectious disease that accounts for elevated mortality and morbidity rates in low- and middle-income countries. Despite decreased mortality rates due to the advancement in antimicrobial therapy, the incidence of morbidity has not reduced; rather a decrease in mortality increases the number of survivors after NM. Nearly half of all meningitis survivors suffer from complex neurological or neuropsychiatric sequelae later in life. Neurologists and microbiologists are continuously searching to improve the quality of life after this dreadful infection. The experimental NM demonstrated positive effects of various pharmacological approaches using antioxidants, matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) inhibitors, kynurenine metabolites inhibitors, and antidepressants in addition to antibiotics and supportive therapy. To understand the long-term complications after NM, it is necessary to have profound knowledge of the mechanisms behind its pathology. Hence, in this chapter, we aim to enumerate experimental neonatal and infant meningitis models and enlist possible mechanisms associated with behavioral alterations. We also demonstrate the links between NM, inflammatory mediators, and brain injuries in clinical studies. This chapter will also highlight currently available effective therapy to reduce neurological complications and discuss the possible treatment regimen in the future.