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Proven link between head trauma and the development of dementia
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Head injuries at any age increase the risk of developing dementia in old age. This is the conclusion reached by researchers led by Dr. Jesse Fann. The research was conducted at the University of Washington.
Neurodegenerative processes, which are the basis for the development of dementia, affect 47 million of the world's population. According to experts, the number of patients with this disease is steadily growing.
Traumatic brain injuries are also a very common reason for visiting a doctor, and this happens about as often as cases of dementia. Scientists wondered: could there be a connection between trauma and neurodegeneration?
The specialists initiated the thematic study back in 1977. The experiment began with studying the health of almost three million patients. Almost every second of them had suffered a traumatic brain injury at some point in their lives: 85% had a mild trauma, and 15% had a severe trauma, with damage to the integrity of the cranial bones.
Over a long period of time, scientists continued to monitor the participants, which allowed them to discover the following: from 1999 to 2013, more than 5% of patients with traumatic brain injuries developed dementia (in particular, Alzheimer's disease). The average age of participants who received the corresponding disappointing diagnosis was 80 years.
The experts also found that men were more susceptible to developing neurodegenerative pathology than women (30% and 19%, respectively). Subsequent results demonstrated the following facts:
- A history of concussion increases the chances of developing dementia in old age by 24%;
- Severe traumatic brain injury increases the risk to 35%.
If a patient had more than five traumatic brain injuries in his life, the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders increased by 183%.
The researchers note that the most surprising fact for them was that even a minor concussion increased the risk of developing late pathologies by 17%. This information is very important, as it demonstrates a clear danger. Often, people receive such minor injuries in childhood, due to increased activity and curiosity. The experiment showed that if a concussion was received before the age of 20, the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders increased by 60%.
Experts have already raised the issue of the need to implement preventive programs to prevent head injuries among the population of all ages.
Fortunately, a traumatic brain injury does not guarantee that a disorder such as dementia will necessarily “visit” a person in old age. However, such chances are high, and it should be taken with all due seriousness.
You can read more about the scientists’ work on the pages of the University of Washington (https://newsroom.uw.edu/news/risk-dementia-increases-traumatic-brain-injury).