Baycrest Centre - Baycrest

Defy Dementia Episode 19: Brain Injury and Dementia Risk

In this episode of Defy Dementia, learn how traumatic brain injuries like concussions may increase your dementia risk. First, Jane Enright shares her inspiring journey recovering from a traumatic brain injury that almost left her unable to speak. Then, Dr. Carmela Tartaglia (University Health Network, University of Toronto) dives into the latest research on brain injury and how it can affect brain health in the long term and one’s dementia risk. Tune in for an insightful discussion and practical tips to safeguard your brain health.

Episode 19: Transcript

Key Messages

A blow to the head can cause a mild, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
All TBIs, including mild injuries like concussion, can increase your dementia risk.

Key Actions

Take care to avoid impacts to the head as much as possible.
Seek medical attention after a head injury if you experience symptoms like headaches, confusion, nausea or other noticeable effects.
After a mild TBI like concussion, you can reduce dementia risk through exercise, social and cognitive engagement, and other healthy activities.

Resources

Concussion Education – from the UHN Krembil Brain Institute
Traumatic Brain Injury – from Alzheimer’s Society
Head Injury 25 Years Later - Penn Study Finds Increased Risk of Dementia – from Penn Medicine News
Head Injury and Dementia Risk – from Alzheimer’s Research UK

Learn more about our guests

In 2017, Jane Enright suffered an unforeseen traumatic brain injury that left her almost speechless. She was at her son’s volleyball game when an errant, speeding ball hit her in the face and whipped her head back. It was a day before she went to hospital. She suffered from speech aphasia and memory loss. She regained full speech with the help of a speech pathologist. Amid this recovery, her partner Clayton suffered a severe head injury. Today, Jane is the winner of the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award for Best Book, Spiritual, Health & Wellness, and the 2022 Silver Medal from Living Now Evergreen Book Awards, to commemorate world-changing books published in this new millennium for her compelling, uplifting memoir entitled Butter Side Up: How I Survived My Most Terrible Year & Created My Super Awesome Life. Jane is also the author of the acclaimed wellness playbook Jane’s Jam: Inspiration to Create Your Super Awesome Life, shortlisted for the 2023 Eric Hoffer Grand Prize for Literature. Jane is also a Director on the Board of Governors for the Brain Canada Foundation.

Dr. Carmela Tartaglia is a clinician scientist at the Canadian Concussion Centre, University Health Network (UHN) and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto. She specializes in the detection and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on frontotemporal dementia and young-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Her interests also extend to the delayed effects of concussions. She sees patients with persistent, post-concussion symptoms and those with repeated concussions who may be at risk for neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Tartaglia employs a multi-modal approach, integrating imaging, biofluid biomarkers, genetics and clinical data to improve diagnosis and understand the underlying causes of cognitive, behavioural, and motor impairments. Her research aims to develop biomarkers for early disease detection, advancing precision medicine and enabling targeted, early interventions.