Research Update: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Dementia

In the January 2018 issue of the Alzheimer’s Association Journal, an article discussed the relationship between Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the risk of dementia. The study was conducted in affiliation with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of California, and the Institute for Health & Aging from the University of California. The study examined many potential direct and indirect links between PTSD and dementia outlined below.

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a mental health condition that is caused by experiencing or witnessing an extremely traumatic event such as a car crash. People with the condition often suffer from symptoms such as anxiety, flashbacks, shame, and fear.

In American male and female civilians, it was found that PTSD greatly raised the risk for dementia. Older individuals with PTSD were more prone to dementia, whereas younger individuals with PTSD had a lower risk. It was also found that those with PTSD and depression were at even higher risks for developing dementia. These conclusions were drawn from collecting years of data from individuals across the Northern California region.

In American veterans and prisoners of war with PTSD, the risk for developing dementia is also higher. However, the risk was found to be higher in men than women. Although, there are few studies examining the relationship specifically between veterans with PTSD and dementia, thus more research is needed to further investigate.

There are many potential reasons for PTSD causing a higher risk of dementia. One may be due to the stress that PTSD causes. Studies also found that PTSD can decrease gray matter in areas of the brain that are responsible for memory. There may also be a link between PTSD causing a higher risk for illnesses such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, which in turn translate to a higher dementia risk.

This study is very unique as it is the first to investigate the link between PTSD and dementia, and to provide evidence that PTSD does in fact increase the risk of dementia. For more information, visit http://www.alzheimersanddementia.com/article/S1552-5260(17)30221-2/fulltext#ack0010.