Genetics, Comorbidities, and Ethnicity: Effects of TBI on Dementia
Abstract
Up to 20% of young veterans have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI), with many older veterans having TBI as well. Someepidemiological studies have reported a link between TBI and increased risk of dementia even after years of active life postinjury, however, few have examined what factors may increase or decrease the risk of dementia after TBI. In recent decades,as the country has become more racially and ethnically diverse, so has the U.S. military. However, no studies have examinedhow race and ethnicity may influence the TBI outcomes and risk of developing dementia. Findings have linked TBI withnegative socioeconomic, medical and psychiatric consequences. Yet, these factors also have been identified independently asrisk factors for cognitive impairment. This new and unique research collaboration will leverage two established epidemiologicaldatasets to investigate factors associated with adverse cognitive outcomes among veterans with head injuries. Our overallhypothesis is that veterans who are non-white, have lower socioeconomic status and education, and those with greaterpsychiatric and medical comorbidities will have a higher risk of dementia after TBI. Further, we hypothesize that thesedifferences will still be present after accounting for early life exposures and genetics by studying a large cohort of 3000 twinpairs. Finally, we will determine the population attributable risk (PAR) or proportion of dementia attributable to TBI, both amongVeterans and non-veterans. This estimate will allow us to compare TBI to other important risk factors in order to design betterprevention and intervention strategies and help highlight the public health significance of TBI.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1194701
Entities
People
- Kristine Yaffe
Organizations
- Northern California Institute for Research and Education