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Analysis of World Trade Center responders shows link between trauma, cognitive impairment
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Cognitive impairment was common among individuals who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center, suggesting a link between PTSD and cognitive impairment.
“If our results are replicable, doctors need to be aware of the impact of cognitive impairment among individuals who have experienced traumatic events leading to PTSD. For example, cognitive impairment can compound the course of PTSD and depression, impairing the person beyond the impact of PTSD itself,” Sean A. P. Clouston, PhD, of Stony Brook University, New York, said in a press release.
To assess associations between PTSD and cognitive impairment among World Trade Center responders, researchers evaluated 818 responders who reported for annual monitoring visits. Cognitive impairment and dementia were determined via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment from January 2014 to April 2015. Data for comorbidities such as PTSD and major depressive disorder were collected since 2002.
Overall, 12.8% of responders had cognitive impairment and 1.2% showed signs of dementia.
Concurrent PTSD and major depressive disorder were associated with cognitive impairment.
Re-experiencing symptoms were consistently associated with cognitive impairment (adjusted RR = 2.88; 95% CI, 1.35-6.22), according to longitudinal analysis. However, longitudinal increases in PTSD and depressive symptoms prior to screening were only observed among individuals with cognitive impairment.
The researchers noted that these findings require validation from comprehensive analyses and evaluations to diagnose the cause of cognitive impairment.
“This is a problem we must solve,” Maria Carrillo, PhD, chief science officer at the Alzheimer's Association, said in the release. “The silver lining in these troubling new findings is that they will help us better understand the relationship between PTSD, cognition and dementia. More research is needed in this area. This is crucial so that we can provide better care for all individuals who experience PTSD.” – by Amanda Oldt
Disclosure: Please see the full study for a list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.