Self-reported traumatic brain injury (TBI) with loss of consciousness may not be an independent risk factor for clinical or pathological Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a recent study. Researchers leveraged the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to examine the association between self-reported TBI with loss of consciousness and AD neuropathologic changes, and with baseline and longitudinal clinical status. The sample included 4,761 autopsy reports (453 with remote TBI with loss of consciousness; 2,822 with AD neuropathologic changes) from National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Researchers found:

• Self-reported TBI did not predict AD neuropathologic changes.
• Reported TBI was not associated with baseline or change in dementia severity or cognitive function in participants with or without autopsy-confirmed AD.