Concussions and Dementia

Taken From
http://icbclaw.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/
bc-injury-law-brain.jpg

So this topic has been one that has haunted me in the past months. I have always heard from individuals that living a life where you sustain multiple concussion(mtbi) can result in the development of dementia in your later years. Now I have seen the impact that dementia can have on individuals. I in fact have people within my family with dementia, so I know genetically I am predisposed to this disease. I finally though wanted to research whether or not the concussions I have sustained have in fact put me at a larger risk for dementia than I already am.
I was only able to find a few articles related to this subject. I am sure their are more out there, I just need to broaden my search. This one though gave me the answer quite abruptly, and had significant research to back up their conclusion. What the article stated was that yes, I am indeed more susceptible to the effects of dementia after suffering repeated mild traumatic brain injuries over the course of my life. They said that for the reasoning that dementia is more prevalent in mtbi patients is due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy(CTE), or swelling of the brain. Now the part of this study that ergs me the most is that a comparison was made between individuals that suffered mtbi in sports, as well as elsewhere like an accident. What they found was that receiving an mtbi during either avenue resulted in an increased likelihood of dementia, but he individuals that received them during sporting events had an increased risk of complications. These complications were quite severe, decreased motor control and seizures were among these effects.
So I now have my answer to whether or not dementia may be in my future. It is a scary fact, but unfortunately it is a part of life. This is why I feel as though I need to play a role in making this knowledge more available, to try an prevent others from making the same mistakes that I have.