Study shows concussions accelerate Alzheimer’s Disease

According to a new study recently published online in Brain, concussions may accelerate memory decline in Alzheimer’s disease-relevant areas. But research efforts to develop effective treatments and preventative measures are underway – along with work to develop better ways to care for people who have already been diagnosed with the disease, their families, their friends […]

According to a new study recently published online in Brain , concussions may accelerate memory decline in Alzheimer’s disease-relevant areas.

But research efforts to develop effective treatments and preventative measures are underway – along with work to develop better ways to care for people who have already been diagnosed with the disease, their families, their friends and also their caregivers.

“The Alzheimer’s Association is moving these research efforts forward by funding scientists who are searching for more answers and new treatments, collaborating with stakeholders, fostering worldwide partnerships among scientists, and raising the visibility of Alzheimer’s as a global health challenge,” according to an article posted by the Psychiatry Advisor.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, a general term used to describe various diseases and conditions that damage brain cells. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.

Other types include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. In some cases, a person may have more than one type and are said to have mixed dementia. Ultimately, Alzheimer’s is fatal, and currently, there is no cure.

For the study, Jasmeet Hayes, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, along with several colleagues, examined 160 U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The researchers discovered that concussions seem to accelerate  Alzheimer’s disease-related brain deterioration  and mental decline in people who are at genetic risk for the disease.

“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,” Hayes 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.”