The effects of head injuries are long-lasting and could lead to dementia later in life mostly among women when compared to men and among white as compared to Black populations.

‘The effects of head injuries are long-lasting and could lead to dementia later in life mostly among women when compared to men and among white as compared to Black populations. This mandates the need for further research in understanding the exact reasons for these observed sex and race differences in the association of head injury with dementia risk.’

The study team for the first time investigated the data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) to uncover associations between head injury and dementia over the span of 25 years in a diverse population (both Black and white populations, as well as among both males and females) in the United States. 




They were followed for a median of 25 years through up to six in-person visits and semi-annual telephone follow-ups. Data on head injuries of participants was drawn from hospital records, as well as self-reporting from some participants.
Head Injury and Dementia
"Head injury is a significant risk factor for dementia, but it's one that can be prevented. Our findings show that the number of head injuries matter - more head injuries are associated with greater risk for dementia. The dose-dependence of this association suggests that prevention of head injury could mitigate some risk of dementia later in life. While head injury is not the only risk factor for dementia, it is one risk factor for dementia that is modifiable by behavior changes such as wearing helmets and seat belts", says lead investigator, Andrea L.C. Schneider, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Neurology at Penn.
It was seen that on comparing the participants with no history of head injury, there was an increased risk of dementia of 1.25 times among those with history of a single prior head injury and over 2 times with a history of two or more prior head injuries. Overall, 9.5 percent of all dementia cases in the study population could be attributed to at least one prior head injury.
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The present study also found that females were more likely to experience dementia as a result of head injury than males. And also White participants were found to be at higher risk for dementia after head injury when compared to Black participants.
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"Given the strong association of head injury with dementia, there is an important need for future research focused on prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing dementia after head injury. The results of this study have already led to several ongoing research projects, including efforts to uncover the causes of head injury-related dementia as well as investigations into reasons underlying the observed sex and race differences in the risk of dementia associated with head injury", says Schneider.
Source-Medindia