OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this review was to examine relevant clinical and experimental literatures for information on the long-term cognitive impact of serious traumatic brain injury (TBI) with regard to the process of cognitive aging.
METHOD: Online journal databases were queried for studies pertaining to cognitive aging in neurologically healthy populations, as well as the late cognitive effects of serious TBI. Additional studies were identified through searching bibliographies of related publications and using Google search engine.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Problems of cognition exhibited by young adults after TBI resemble many cognitive weaknesses of attention deficit and poor working memory that are usually seen in an elderly population who have no neurological history. The current state of the literature provides support for the argument that TBI can result in diminished cognitive reserve which may accelerate the normal process of cognitive decline, leading to premature aging, potentially increasing the risk of dementia.