Older Adults With History of Head Injuries Show Decreased Brain Function

A study published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology determined that adults who suffer head injuries in their 50s or younger have lower-than-expected scores on cognitive tests at age 70, reports United Press International . Seventy-year-olds who had suffered a serious head injury 15 or more years previously scored an average 46 on 93-point cognitive tests for attention and quick thinking, compared to 48 for those without a history of head injuries. Their brain volumes also were 1 percent smaller and had differences in brain structure, which may account for the cognitive differences compared to those with no history of head injuries. 'It might be that a head injury makes the brain more vulnerable to, or accelerates, the normal brain aging process," suggested University College London's Sarah-Naomi James. She added that "we have not found evidence that a head injury would cause dementia, but it could exacerbate or accelerate some dementia symptoms." A separate study in Alzheimer's and Dementia found that sustaining just one head injury may raise the odds of developing dementia decades later by 25 percent, and that this risk increases with each subsequent head injury.