INTRODUCTION:
In recent years, there has been growing discussion to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how they may be linked to an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in veterans.
METHODS:
Building on that discussion, and subsequent to a special issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia published in June, 2014, which focused on military risk factors, the Alzheimer's Association convened a continued discussion of the scientific community on December 1, 2016.
RESULTS:
During this meeting, participants presented and evaluated progress made since 2012 and identified outstanding knowledge gaps regarding factors that may impact veterans’ risk for later life dementia.
DISCUSSION:
The following is a summary of the invited presentations and moderated discussions of both the review of scientific understanding and identification of gaps to inform further investigations.