Brain injury can lead to dementia later in life

Chennai: Teenagers who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBT) may have an increased risk of developing dementia including Alzheimer’s later in their life, reveals a report recently published in journal The Lancet Psychiatry. 

Dementia is generally witnessed in the form of memory loss and other mental abilities due to physical changes in the brain. The report was a review report of nearly 30 lakh patients, who were on a follow up for 36 years, were found to have a higher risk of dementia after sustaining brain injuries in young age.

The findings show a variation in the risk among men and women with traumatic brain injury histories. While men had 30 per cent risk of developing dementia, women had a relatively lower risk of around 19 per cent.

The overall average risk of dementia in people with a history of traumatic brain injury was 24 per cent higher than people without a history of brain injuries after taking all the risk factors of the disease into account.

As per the research, severe traumatic brain injury increases the risk by 35 per cent, while mild traumatic brain injury could increase the risk by 17 per cent. The risk of nervous issues increased with an increase in the number of injuries, more than two or three brain injuries increased the risk by 33 per cent. The risk was further high in people with four injuries who had 61 per cent higher risk, and the risk was as high as 183 per cent in people with a history of five or more traumatic brain injuries.

“The injuries including falls, accidents and assaults in 20s could develop the most common cause of dementia in 50s or 60s, which is Alzheimer's. The disruptions in the nervous system due to injuries affect memory in most instances,” said neurologist Dr Satish Kumar.