title: Cognitive changes and dementia risk after traumatic brain injury: implications for aging military personnel.
abstract: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is recognized as an important risk factor for the long-term cognitive health of military personnel, particularly in light of growing evidence that TBI increases risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. In this article, we review the neurocognitive and neuropathologic changes after TBI with particular focus on the potential risk for cognitive decline across the life span in military service members. Implications for monitoring and surveillance of cognition in the aging military population are discussed. Additional studies are needed to clarify the factors that increase risk for later life cognitive decline, define the mechanistic link between these factors and dementia, and provide empirically supported interventions to mitigate the impact of TBI on cognition across the life span.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Science Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA. Electronic address: avincent@ou.edu.
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Science Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Tresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Roebuck-Spencer
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cernich
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Dementia; Military medicine; Risk factors; Traumatic brain injury