13% of older adults are diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a study by UC San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Health Care System. These injuries are typically caused by falls from ground level. The researchers tracked about 9,200 Medicare enrollees, with an average age of 75 at the beginning of the study. Contrary to other studies of younger individuals, they found that being female, white, healthier, and wealthier was associated with a higher risk of TBI.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open on May 31, 2024, followed around 9,200 Medicare enrollees with an average age of 75. The researchers found that, in contrast to studies of younger individuals, there was a higher risk of TBI associated with being female, white, healthier, and wealthier. The study was led by Erica Kornblith, PhD, from the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and the San Francisco VA Health Care System, and tracked TBI Medicare claims of participants enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study, a long-term study of a representative.
A recent study looked at a sample of older Americans and found that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can lead to a higher risk of developing conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, cardiovascular disease, and psychiatric issues like depression and anxiety. The senior author of the study, Raquel Gardner, stressed the need for evidence-based guidelines to improve post-discharge care for the large Medicare population affected by TBI, as well as further research into preventing post-TBI dementia.
The researchers aimed to discover the factors that increased the vulnerability of some patients during an 18-year follow-up period.
Past studies on TBI have indicated that males, non-whites, and those with lower socio-economic status were more prone to TBI. However, the current study found that females and whites were overrepresented among the 1,148 participants with TBI. In the HRS group, 58% were female and 84% were white, while among those with TBI, the numbers were 64% and 89%. Additionally, 31% of those with TBI were in the highest socioeconomic quartile.
When it comes to wealth, 49% of the participants in the study were in the highest bracket, while 22% were in the lowest.
Healthier seniors who took part in activities may actually be at a higher risk.
Those who were eventually diagnosed with TBI were less likely to have lung disease and difficulties with daily activities when they first joined the study. They were also more likely to have normal cognition.
“Our findings suggest that adults who are healthier, wealthier, and more active may be more capable or willing to participate in activities that could lead to TBI,” explained Kornblith, who is also associated with the UCSF W.eill Institute for Neurosciences.
The majority of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in older individuals are the result of falls at ground level, but those who are wheelchair-bound or bedridden have fewer opportunities for traumatic injuries, explained the researcher. It’s also possible that individuals with cognitive impairment have limited activity and are less likely to fall.
However, the results of the study may not accurately represent the true number of injuries, as the data only include cases of TBI that were diagnosed and treated. A study from 2007 discovered that 42% of individuals who participated in an online survey did not seek medical attention after experiencing a TBI.
“We are aware that older adultsThe largest portion of Americans with TBI, as well as low-income adults who have experienced racial and ethnic micro-aggressions in a medical setting, are less inclined to seek care after experiencing falls,” Kornblith explained. “It is possible that our data did not fully capture the true impact of TBI in this particular population.”
These findings from the study may lead to inquiries especially at a time when engaging in physical activity is strongly encouraged to mitigate or delay the onset of dementia.
“The overall evidence continues to strongly support the neuroprotective benefits of physical activity,” Gardner, who is currently working at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, stated.However, it is crucial to take steps to improve safety and reduce the risk of falls. These steps will need to be adjusted as a person ages and develops physical or cognitive disabilities, or both.
