A-09 Concussion History May Accelerate Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
Abstract Objective Concussion is a common occurrence among older adults, stemming largely from falls. Evidence suggests that history of moderate–severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases risk for cognitive decline and dementia; however, long-term outcomes associated with concussion remain unclear. This study aims to investigate longitudinal cognitive change among older adults with self-reported concussion history (CH). Method Older adults (n = 39) enrolled in an observational, longitudinal study by the Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease were studied, including 14 with CH. Participants completed baseline and one-year follow-up testing, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Repeated measures ANCOVA with age and education covariates assessed change in MoCA Total Scores from baseline to follow-up based on CH. Results Main effects for age, education, time, and CH were not significant; however, significant interaction for CH by time was revealed, F(1,34) = 4.46, p < .05 such that those with CH demonstrated significantly greater decline from baseline to follow-up than those without CH (p < .05). In the CH group, change over time was associated with an effect size of 1.20 (Cohen’s d) compared to an effect size of 0.22 in the non-CH group. Conclusions History of concussion may lead to accelerated rate of cognitive decline in those diagnosed with MCI and AD over a 1-year period, which is consistent with prior research in moderate–severe TBI. These results preliminarily support the notion that concussion may be associated with significantly worse cognitive outcomes among older adults. Confirmation of our findings in larger samples and prospective validation of the observation are warranted.