Prompt treatment for head injury may lower your risk of dementia
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- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
If you have a significant head injury, especially if you lose consciousness or have other neurologic symptoms, don’t delay getting checked out. People who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially a moderate or severe one, are at increased risk of developing dementia later in life, including Alzheimer’s disease. Common causes of TBIs include falls, motor vehicle accidents, and sports injuries.
A study published in December 2025 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that prompt treatment after a head injury may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. From a review of health records, researchers identified more than 37,000 people ages 50 to 90 who received neurorehabilitation (including physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and speech-language therapy) after a moderate or severe brain injury. Those receiving neurorehabilitation within one week had a 41% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease over the following three years compared with those who started treatment more than one week after the injury. At the five-year point, there was a 30% lower risk. People treated within one week also had reduced risk of other types of
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About the Author
Lynne Christensen, Staff Writer
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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