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Wounded Veterans With TBI More Likely To Develop Dementia

A recent study looked into the potential relationship between traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and dementia. Researchers found those older veterans who had suffered a TBI at one point in their life were more than twice as likely to develop dementia later in life. The study produced information that will greatly help the understanding between specific head injuries and dementia risk factors in later life.

Researchers studied medical records of approximately 300,000 veterans, all at least 55 years old. Every subject tested negative for dementia at the beginning of the study, and approximately 2% suffered a TBI at some point in their life. Between 1997 and 2000, every subject had either an outpatient or inpatient visit and a follow-up appointment between 2001 and 2007.

Those veterans who had been diagnosed with a TBI had a 15% risk of dementia. Conversely, there is only a 7% risk factor for those veterans never diagnosed with a TBI.

Researchers defined having TBIs as being diagnosed with either a:

• skull fracture;
• concussion;
• post-concussion syndrome; or
• non-specific head injuries.

TBIs are the "signature wounds" of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and account for approximately 22% of overall casualties.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.