Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are almost three times more likely to develop dementia than those without the condition, a new study reports.
Researchers said ADHD in adults may materialise as a neurological process that reduces the ability for them to compensate for the effects of cognitive decline later in life. The research also suggested that ADHD treatment incorporating psychostimulants may help reduce the risk of dementia in adults with ADHD. Psychostimulants are known to modify the trajectory of cognitive impairment, but researchers said future studies should examine in more detail the impact of medications in patients with ADHD and how they could affect risk.
"By determining if adults with ADHD are at higher risk for dementia and if medications and/or lifestyle changes can affect risks, the outcomes of this research can be used to better inform caregivers and clinicians," said coauthor Dr Michal Schnaider Beeri, director of the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at Rutgers Brain Health Institute .