Many Florida residents suffer from concussions each year. A link has now been found in people who are at risk of Alzheimer’s disease between suffering concussions and developing the disease.
Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine studied 160 veterans who ranged in age from 19 to 58. Many of the subjects had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injuries. MRI scans were performed on the study participants in order to measure their cortical thickness in areas of the brain that are known to degenerate during the early stages of Alzheimer’s. These results were compared to the people’s individual genetic risks for Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers found that the people who had genetic risks for Alzheimer’s and who had suffered mild traumatic brain injuries showed thinner cortical regions. The results led the researchers to conclude that mild traumatic brain injuries may influence the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in people who are at risk for it. Researchers recommended that all concussions should be documented even if they are mild. They believe that the research might help to better detect early brain deterioration in people who have suffered concussions.
A traumatic brain injury may range in severity from mild to severe. Even mild ones may have some long-term effects. While contact sports such as boxing and football can result in these types of injuries, many others are caused by incidents like motor vehicle accidents and sudden falls. When it can be determined that a TBi was caused by the negligence of another party, an injured victim might want to have legal assistance in seeking compensation for the losses that have been sustained.