FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Immediate neuro-rehabilitative treatment following moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a study published online Oct. 9 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.Austin A. Kennemer, from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, and colleagues examined whether immediate neuro-rehabilitative treatment following moderate or severe TBI reduces the risk of AD and related cognitive outcomes in a retrospective cohort study involving health records from over 100 million U.S. patients. Adults aged 50 to 90 years with moderate or severe TBI were included if they received immediate or delayed treatment (within one week or later than one week).After propensity score-matching, 17,636 patients remained. The researchers found that compared with delayed treatment, immediate treatment was associated with lower AD risk (hazard ratios, 0.59 and 0.70 at three and five years, respectively). For mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and AD-related medication use, similar risk reductions were observed."Our analysis shows that acting quickly matters in the long term," Kennemer said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter