Does having Attention Deficit Disorder increase the chances of getting dementia?

Related Topics: #alzheimers #attention deficit disorder #brain health #dementia #early signs #mental health

FEATURED ANSWER(S)

By Dr. Stephanie Collier Dr. Stephanie Collier is a psychiatrist in the Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Services at McLean Hospital. More...

" So, attention being affected can be an early sign of dementia, absolutely. But, if someone has Attention Deficit Disorder, that does not mean that they’re necessarily going to progress to dementia. There are studies that have looked at the association between ADHD and later development of dementia, and there is a correlation, but we do not have enough data to say that this is causation, that there are changes in the brain that occur with ADHD that cause dementia. "

The First Signs of Dementia, Or Just Normal Aging?

One thought on “Does having Attention Deficit Disorder increase the chances of getting dementia?”

  1. I’m assuming based on the general statement made above that the correlation with dementia occurs regardless of whether a person with ADHD is treated for the ADHD.

    If the correlation only occurs in people who have been treated for ADHD, then one would need to consider whether the ADHD medications are playing a role in the correlation.

    If the correlation only occurs in people who have not been treated for ADHD, then maybe receiving treatment reduces the correlation.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

We are glad you have chosen to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated according to our comment policy.