A major 2026 review confirms childhood trauma significantly increases dementia risk, with affected individuals facing a 76% higher likelihood of developing the condition.
Abuse, neglect, and socioeconomic deprivation showed the strongest associations. These early adversities correlate with biological changes, cognitive decline, functional impairment, and mild cognitive impairment.
Dementia affects nearly 10 million people globally each year and ranks as the seventh leading cause of death. Women bear a disproportionate burden-both in disease impact and caregiving, supplying 70% of care hours.
Researchers stress that current studies lack global diversity and rarely account for structural factors like segregation or conflict. They advocate an 'exposome-informed' model-assessing cumulative environmental exposures-to better understand how early trauma shapes brain health across populations.
Identifying at-risk individuals early could enable targeted prevention and promote equitable cognitive resilience.