Article posted Wednesday, July 23, 2014 5:09pm

Can serious head injury trigger Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)? Answer: Yes. Studies show that brain injury increases risk for AD. One study showed AD plaques in the brains of individuals in their 30s after head trauma serious enough to require hospitalization. In fact, brain scans showed accumulation of plaque proteins within a few hours of severe head injury. This makes it clear that AD is not just a disorder associated with old age. (Mind, Mood & Memory, March, 2014, published by Mass. General Hospital)