How to cast a multi-pointer to the simple reference (recursive template cast)

Taken from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17653266/make-a-templated-structure-to-turn-a-pointer-with-any-count-of-to-work-as-a/17655695#17655695

template <typename T> struct perform_indirection_t {
  typedef T& result;
  static result call(T& t) {
    return t;
  }
};

template <typename T> struct perform_indirection_t <T*> {
  typedef typename perform_indirection_t<T>::result result;
  static result call(T* t) {
    return perform_indirection_t<T>::call(*t);
  }
};

template <typename T> typename perform_indirection_t<T>::result perform_indirection(T t) {
  return perform_indirection_t<T>::call(t);
}

int main() {
  int x = 0;
  int* p = &x;
  int** pp = &p;
  int*** ppp = &pp;
  int**** pppp = &ppp;
  int***** ppppp = &pppp;
  perform_indirection(ppppp) = 1;
  std::cout << x;
}