A shocking study from Rutgers reveals that adults with ADHD face a nearly three-fold increased risk of developing dementia. This study calls for more attention to ADHD symptoms in older adults and further exploration of treatments that may reduce this risk.
Rutgers University researchers investigate ADHDis associated with dementia and whether ADHD treatment can reduce the risk.
Adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than adults without ADHD, according to a Rutgers study.
The study was co-authored by Herbert Krieger Klein and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Director Michal Schneider Behri. Alzheimer’s disease The Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) research center JAMA network open. The study followed more than 100,000 older adults in Israel over 17 years to determine whether adults with ADHD were at increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
nevertheless 3% or more Among the U.S. adult population with ADHD, there is limited research on this group.
“The results of this study will help caregivers and clinicians determine whether adults with ADHD are at increased risk for dementia and whether medications and lifestyle changes may influence risk.” “We can help inform the public,” said Behri, chair of the Krieger Klein Endowment. He teaches neurodegeneration research at BHI and is a faculty member at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Medical Policy, and Aging Research.
Research results and implications
Researchers used data from a national cohort study of more than 100,000 people followed from 2003 to 2020 to determine the presence or absence of ADHD and the incidence of dementia in each group as they age. analyzed. Researchers found that the presence of ADHD in adults was associated with a significantly higher risk of dementia, even when other risk factors for dementia such as cardiovascular disease were taken into account.
ADHD in adults may manifest as a neurological process that reduces a person’s ability to compensate for the effects of cognitive decline later in life, the researchers said.
“Physicians, clinicians, and caregivers who work with older adults need to monitor ADHD symptoms and associated medications,” said Abraham, professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and lead author of the study.・Mr. Reichenberg said.
“Symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity in older adults should not be ignored and should be discussed with a doctor,” said Stephen Levin, a professor at the University of Haifa’s School of Public Health.
Possible treatments and future directions
Additionally, this study suggests that ADHD treatments that incorporate psychostimulants may reduce dementia risk in adults with ADHD, as psychostimulants are known to modify the trajectory of cognitive impairment. are doing. However, the researchers said future studies should examine in more detail the effects of medication in people with ADHD and how it may affect risk.
Reference: “Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Dementia Risk in Adults” Stephen Z. Levine, Anat Rotstein, Arad Kodesh, Sven Sandin, Brian K. Lee, Galit Weinstein, Michal Schnaider Beeri, Abraham Reichenberg, 2023 October 17th, JAMA network open.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.38088
Other co-authors of the study include Anat Rotstein and Galit Weinstein of the University of Haifa. Arad Kodesh of Haifa University and Meuhedet Health Services; Sven Sandin of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Department of Psychiatry at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden; and Brian Lee of Drexel University.
