The truth about concussions and dementia
For years, we’ve heard of a possible link between concussions and dementia. And, while studies have shown repeated concussions (often experienced by sportspeople) can lead to a form of dementia called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, it’s not fully understood if a one-off brain injury or concussion also contributes to a higher risk of dementia.
However, a new study by Boston University School of Medicine has compared brain measurements (specifically the thickness of the cerebral cortex in the regions of the brain that are first to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease) of those who had experienced concussion with those who had not.
“We found that having a concussion was associated with lower cortical thickness in brain regions that are the first to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr Jasmeet Hayes, one of the lead researchers said. “Our results suggest that when combined with genetic factors, concussions may be associated with accelerated cortical thickness and memory decline in Alzheimer’s disease relevant areas.”
Because these abnormalities were found in a group of participants with the average age of 32, researchers concluded that suffering concussion early in life (i.e., in your teens or 20s) were indeed at greater risk of dementia than those who have never experienced concussion.
“These findings show promise for detecting the influence of concussion on neurodegeneration early in one’s lifetime, thus it is important to document the occurrence and subsequent symptoms of a concussion, even if the person reports only having their ‘bell rung’ and is able to shake it off fairly quickly, given that when combined with factors such as genetics, the concussion may produce negative long-term health consequences.”
Experts urge people who have suffered a concussion to undergo immediate medical assessment and to have the incident recorded in their medical file, even if the concussion is not believed to be serious.
Tell us in the comments below, have you ever suffered a serious concussion or brain injury? Do you worry it could cause further health issues in the future?