TNF and Mental deterioration: [53] Following trauma, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), including TNF-α, IL-1β, and other factors, are upregulated and mediate the inflammatory response via signaling through a variety of evolutionarily conserved pattern recognition receptors (PRRs); [54] this further increases the synthesis and release of proinflammatory mediators, [55] leading to neuroinflammation and cognitive decline.